ESTIMATION OF THEORETICAL POTENTIAL AND EXPLOITABLE QUANTITY OF CHINA'S OCEANIC THERMAL ENERGY

Two estimaton methods are used to calculate the theoretical reservoir potential of China's oceanic thermal energy. One is based on the measured temperature difference between the surface water and the deep water, the other on the net radiation energy income from solar insolation either measured or deduced. The results from these two methods are compared and examined. Then, the maximum amount of the exploitable thermal energy is calculated based on the assumption of a Carnot cycle efficiency. In the process of estimation, such factors as water depth, seasonal water temperature variation and geographic location have been taken into account.The theoretical reservoir capacity and the exploitable quantity of the thermal energy of China's four seas are thus estimated separately.

The Role of Ocean Dynamics in the Cross-equatorial Energy Transport under a Thermal Forcing in the Southern Ocean

Under external heating forcing in the Southern Ocean,climate models project anomalous northward atmosphere heat transport(AHT)across the equator,accompanied by a southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone(ITCZ).Comparison between a fully coupled and a slab ocean model shows that the inclusion of active ocean dynamics tends to partition the cross-equatorial energy transport and significantly reduce the ITCZ shift response by a factor of 10,a finding which supports previous studies.To understand how ocean dynamics damps the ITCZ’s response to an imposed thermal heating in the Southern Ocean,we examine the ocean heat transport(OHT)and ocean circulation responses in a set of fully coupled experiments.Results show that both the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic contribute to transport energy across the equator mainly through its Eulerian-mean component.However,different from previous studies that linked the changes in OHT to the changes in the wind-driven subtropical cells or the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation(AMOC),our results show that the cross-equatorial OHT anomaly is due to a broad clockwise overturning circulation anomaly below the subtropical cells(approximately bounded by the 5°C to 20°C isotherms and 50°S to 10°N).Further elimination of the wind-driven component,conducted by prescribing the climatological wind stress in the Southern Ocean heat perturbation experiments,leads to little change in OHT,suggesting that the OHT response is predominantly thermohaline-driven by air-sea thermal interactions.

Phase change analysis of an underwater glider propelled by the ocean's thermal energy

The phase change characteristic of the power source of an underwater glider propelled by the ocean＇s thermal energy is the key factor in glider attitude control. A numerical model has been established based on the enthalpy method to analyze the phase change heat transfer process under convective boundary conditions. Phase change is not an isothermal process, but one that occurs at a range of temperature. The total melting time of the material is very sensitive to the surrounding temperature. When the temperature of the surroundings decreases 8 degrees, the total melting time increases 1.8 times. But variations in surrounding temperature have little effect on the initial temperature of phase change, and the slope of the temperature time history curve remains the same. However, the temperature at which phase change is completed decreases significantly. Our research shows that the phase change process is also affected by container size, boundary conditions, and the power source＇s cross sectional area. Materials stored in 3 cylindrical containers with a diameter of 38ram needed the shortest phase change time. Our conclusions should be helpful in effective design of underwater glider power systems.

The Assessment of Ocean Wave Energy Along the Coasts of Taiwan

The wave energy resource around the coasts of Taiwan is investigated with wave buoy data covering a 3-year period （2007-2009）. Eleven study sites within the region bounded by the 21.5^°N-25.5°N latitudes and 118°E-122°E longitudes are selected for analysis. The monthly moving-average filter is used to obtain the low-frequency trend based on the available hourly data. After quantifying the wave power and annual wave energy, the substantial resource is the result of Penghu buoy station, which is at the northeastern side of Penghu Island in the Taiwan Strait. it is investigated that the Penghu sea area is determined to be the optimal place for wave energy production according to its abundant resource of northeasterly monsoon waves, sheltering of the Taiwan Island, operation and maintenance in terms of seasonal conditions, and constructability of wave power devices.

Design, Construction and Ocean Testing of Wave Energy Conversion System with Permanent Magnet Tubular Linear Generator

In this paper, the design, construction and ocean testing of a wave energy conversion system are studied. Based on the motion characteristics of double buoys in ocean waves, a wave energy conversion system with permanent magnet tubular linear generator （PMTLG） is proposed to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The wave energy conversion system was installed in the Yellow Sea near Lianyungang, China. The ocean test re- suits indicate that it had dynamic and static performance, and obtained an expected amount of electricity. The calcu- lation result indicates the average output power was about 1 000 W, and the conversion efficiency from wave en- ergy into electricity was 1.4%. In addition, the wireless data communication, mechanics and oceanography were also discussed.

Meso-scale available gravitational potential energy in the world oceans

The pitfalls of applying the commonly used definition of available gravitational potential energy （AGPE） to the world oceans are re-examined. It is proposed that such definition should apply to the meso-scale problems in the oceans, not the global scale. Based on WOA98 climatological data, the meso-scale AGPE in the world oceans is estimated. Unlike previous results by Oort et al. , the meso-scale AGPE is large wherever there is a strong horizontal density gradient. The distribution of meso-scale AGPE reveals the close connection between the baroclinic instability and the release of gravitational potential energy stored within the scale of Rossby deformation radius.

A seasonal grade division of the global offshore wind energy resource

Under the background of energy crisis, the development of renewable energy will significantly alleviate the energy and environmental crisis. On the basis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts（ECMWF）interim reanalysis（ERA-interim） wind data, the annual and seasonal grade divisions of the global offshore wind energy are investigated. The results show that the annual mean offshore wind energy has great potential. The wind energy over the westerly oceans of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is graded as Class 7（the highest）, whereas that over most of the mid-low latitude oceans are higher than Class 4. The wind energy over the Arctic Ocean（Class 4） is more optimistic than the traditional evaluations. Seasonally, the westerly oceans of the Northern Hemisphere with a Class 7 wind energy are found to be largest in January, followed by April and October, and smallest in July. The area of the Class 7 wind energy over the westerly oceans of the Southern Hemisphere are found to be largest in July and slightly smaller in the other months. In July, the wind energy over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal is graded as Class 7, which is obviously richer than that in other months. It is shown that in this data set in April and October, the majority of the northern Indian Ocean are regions of indigent wind energy resource.

Performance Evaluation of Advanced Wave Energy Converters in the Nearshore Areas of the North Indian Ocean

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is a profound measure for mankind,whilst its development is severely restricted by the energy shortage of surrounding countries.As the core construction area of Maritime Silk Road,the North Indian Ocean is rich in wave energy.The development and utilization of wave energy not only can overcome energy shortage,but also promote communication between peripheral countries.However,previous researchers often focused on wave energy itself,without combining devices to analyze wave energy resources.Therefore,we conducted an overall assessment of wave energy resources using 20-year ERA5 data and determined the sites considered as superior for the construction of Wave Energy Farm(WEF)in the coastal areas.In order to point out which type of Wave Energy Converter(WEC)is best suited for the sites,we carried out the performance evaluation of eight advanced WECs using three parameters:the mean power output,the capacity factor and the capture width ratio.The results show that the performance of Wave Star is superior to other devices,which is supposed to be the primary consideration of the Wave Energy Farms(WEFs)in the future.

Development of Ocean Energy Test Field in China

The mission of the test field is to provide technical support to associates. The paper present the development of OE （ocean energy） field in China and outline the new technologies and best practice, resources conditions, construction targets, generation device testing and standard system. The main purpose is to improve the level of China＇s ocean energy development. The Chinese ocean energy test field, which was started in 2008, involved a development divided in three phases （the overall design, construction, demonstration）. The methodology followed in the individual phases is described, and the standardization of testing wave and tidal current energy devices is introduced. The research revealed the development and the shortage of ocean energy technology in China.

Tidal energy budget in the Zhujiang(Pearl River) Estuary

Tidal energy budget in the Zhujiang（Pearl River） Estuary（ZE） is evaluated by employing high-resolution baroclinic regional ocean modeling system（ROMS）. The results obtained via applying the least square method on the model elevations are compared against the tidal harmonic constants at 18 tide stations along the ZE and its adjacent coast. The mean absolute errors between the simulation and the observation of M_2, S_2, K_1 and O_1 are 4.6, 2.8, 3.2 and 2.8 cm in amplitudes and 9.8°, 15.0°, 4.6° and 4.6° in phase-lags, respectively. The comparisons between the simulated and observed sea level heights at 11 tide gauge stations also suggest good model performance. The total tidal energy flux incoming the ZE is estimated to be 343.49 MW in the dry season and larger than 336.18 MW in the wet season, which should due to higher mean sea level height and heavier density in the dry season. M_2, K_1, S_2, O_1 and N_2, the top five barotropic tidal energy flux contributors for the ZE,import 242.23（236.79）, 52.97（52.08）, 24.49（23.96）, 16.22（15.91） and 7.10（6.97） MW energy flux into the ZE in dry（wet） season, successively and respectively. The enhanced turbulent mixing induced by eddies around isolated islands and sharp headlands dominated by bottom friction, interaction between tidal currents and sill topography or constricted narrow waterways together account for the five energy dissipation hotspots, which add up to about 38% of the total energy dissipation inside the ZE.

Ocean Observation Technologies:A Review

Covering about three quarters of the surface area of the earth,the ocean is a critical source of sustenance,medicine,and commerce.However,such vast expanse in both surface area and depth,presents myriad observing challenges for researchers,such as corrosion,attenuation of electromagnetic waves,and high pressure.Ocean observation technologies are progressing from the conventional single node,static and short-term modalities to multiple nodes,dynamic and long-term modalities,to increase the density of both temporal and spatial samplings.Although people’s knowledge of the oceans has been still quite limited,the contributions of many nations cooperating to develop the Global Ocean Observing System(GOOS)have remarkably promoted the development of ocean observing technologies.This paper reviews the typical observing technologies deployed from the sea surface to the seafloor,and discusses the future trend of the ocean observation systems with the docking technology and sustained ocean energy.

Study on Flexible Power Generation Device Using Piezoelectric Film

Various ocean energy technologies have been developed that harness several kinds of renewable energy resources of the ocean. However, these technologies suffer from problems such as high construction and maintenance costs, restrictive installation requirements and damage by extraordinary weather conditions. In this paper, we propose a lightweight and FPGD （flexible power generation device） that overcomes these problems. The FPGD essentially consists of piezoelectric films and silicon rubber. Because the FPGD is small and flexible, it is anticipated to efficiently convert fluid energy into electrical energy even when the fluid energy is low. We perform several experiments to confirm the effectiveness of the FPGD and we discuss the results.

Regional Characteristics of Typhoon-Induced Ocean Eddies in the East China Sea

The asymmetrical structure of typhoon-induced ocean eddies（TIOEs） in the East China Sea（including the Yellow Sea）and the accompanying air–sea interaction are studied using reanalysis products. Thirteen TIOEs are analyzed and divided into three groups with the k-prototype method： Group A with typhoons passing through the central Yellow Sea; Group B with typhoons re-entering the sea from the western Yellow Sea after landing on continental China; and Group C with typhoons occurring across the eastern Yellow Sea near to the Korean Peninsula. The study region is divided into three zones（Zones Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ） according to water depth and the Kuroshio position. The TIOEs in Group A are the strongest and could reverse part of the Kuroshio stream, while TIOEs in the other two groups are easily deformed by topography. The strong currents of the TIOEs impact on the latent heat flux distribution and upward transport, which facilitates the typhoon development. The strong divergence within the TIOEs favors an upwelling-induced cooling. A typical TIOE analysis shows that the intensity of the upwelling of TIOEs is proportional to the water depth, but its magnitude is weaker than the upwelling induced by the topography. In Zones Ⅰ and Ⅱ, the vertical dimensions of TIOEs and their strong currents are much less than the water depths.In shallow water Zone Ⅲ, a reversed circulation appears in the lower layer. The strong currents can lead to a greater, faster,and deeper energy transfer downwards than at the center of TIOEs.

Assessment of the stiffened panel performance in the OTEC seawater tank design:Parametric study and sensitivity analysis

Ocean thermal energy conversion(OTEC)is a process of generating electricity by exploiting the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater.Due to the high static and dynamic pressures that are caused by seawater circulation,the stiffened panel that constitutes a seawater tank may undergo a reduction in ultimate strength.The current paper investigates the design of stiffening systems for OTEC seawater tanks by examining the effects of stiffening parameters such as stiffener sizes and span-over-bay ratio for the applied combined loadings of lateral and transverse pressure by fluid motion and axial compression due to global bending moment.The ultimate strength calculation was conducted by using the non-linear finite element method via the commercial software known as ABAQUS.The stress and deformation distribution due to pressure loads was computed in the first step and then brought to the second step,in which the axial compression was applied.The effects of pressure on the ultimate strength of the stiffener were investigated for representative stiffened panels,and the significance of the stiffener parameters was assessed by using the sensitivity analysis method.As a result,the ultimate strength was reduced by approximately 1.5%for the span-over-bay ratio of 3 and by 7%for the span-over-bay ratio of 6.

Effect of mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling on the Kuroshio extension jet

Effect of mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling on the Kuroshio extension jet is studied using the Regional Ocean Modeling System. The mesoscale wind stress perturbation( τ_(MS)) is diagnostically determined from modelled mesoscale SST perturbation(SST_(MS)) by using their empirical relationship derived from corresponding observation. From comparing two experiments with and without the τ_(MS) feedback, it is found that the interactively represented τ_(MS)-SST_(MS) coupling can modulate the kinetic energy along the Kuroshio extension jet, with little effect on the Kuroshio pathway. Similar results are also obtained in three additional sensitivity experiments, which consider half strength of the τ_(MS), and the momentum flux and heat flux effect induced by τ_(MS), respectively. That means simply taking into account the τ_(MS)-SST_(MS) coupling has little effect on improving the simulation of the Kuroshio Current system.

A Twin Unidirectional Impulse Turbine for Wave Energy Conversion

A twin unidirectional impulse turbine has been proposed in order to enhance the performance of wave energy plant. This turbine system uses two unidirectional impulse turbines and their flow direction is different from each other. However, the turbine characteristics have not been clarified to date. The performances of a unidirectional impulse turbine under steady flow conditions were investigated experimentaUy by using a wind tunnel with large piston/cylinder in this study. Then, efficiency of the twin impulse turbine have been estimated by a quasi-steady analysis using experimental results.

Status of testing field for ocean energy generation

Ocean energy, considered as clean energy, is one kind of marine resources of great importance. Its development and utilization have become an indispensable part of national development strategy in China. Testingfields are required when conducting tests of ocean energy generation devices in real sea, which is the key step conducted before engineering prototypes transformed into scale industrialization applications. This paper introduces the construction and operation conditions of large-scale testing fields for wave energy and tidal current energy generation devices and presents a brief comparative analysis. Developing status and related technologies on testingfields for ocean energy power generation in China are also discussed. Furthermore, this paper investigates the necessity of grid-connected test for ocean energy generation and points out that the construction of ocean energy testingfields is helpful to ensure the efficient utilization of ocean energy resources.

Experimental investigation and ANN modeling on improved performance of an innovative method of using heave response of a non-floating object for ocean wave energy conversion

To convert wave energy into usable forms of energy by utilizing heaving body, heaving bodies （buoys） which are buoyant in nature and float on the water surface are usually used. The wave exerts excess buoyancy force on the buoy, lifting it during the approach of wave crest while the gravity pulls it down during the wave trough. A hydraulic, direct or mechanical power takeoff is used to convert this up and down motion of the buoy to produce usable forms of energy. Though using a floating buoy for harnessing wave energy is conventional, this device faces many challenges in improving the overall conversion efficiency and survivability in extreme conditions. Up to the present, no studies have been done to harness ocean waves using a non-floating object and to find out the merits and demerits of the system. In the present paper, an innovative heaving body type of wave energy converter with a non-floating object was proposed to harness waves. It was also shown that the conversion efficiency and safety of the proposed device were significantly higher than any other device proposed with floating buoy. To demonstrate the improvements, experiments were conducted with non- floating body for different dimensions and the heave response was noted. Power generation was not considered in the experiment to observe the worst case response of the heaving body. The device was modeled in artificial neural network （ANN）, the heave response for various parameters were predicted, and compared with the experimental results. It was found that the ANN model could predict the heave response with an accuracy of 99%.

Laboratory experiment on using non-floating body to generate electrical energy from water waves

This paper describes an innovative method of using a nonbuoyant body to harness ocean waves. All the point absorbers are buoyant in nature and move up due to buoyancy and come down because of gravity. The point absorbers are designed to move along the waves to make the device efficient. These devices face excessive stress during the rough weather on account of the extreme motion of waves and cause the total device failure. The present study shows that using a nonbuoyant body for conven tional point absorber principle is much efficient and safer than any other device proposed till today. A small scale wave energy converter with nonbuoyant body was designed, fabricated and tested in small scale wave maker. An electrical generator was coupled with the device to generate electrical energy from harnessed waves. The generator was electrically loaded and the generated power was measured. It was found from the experiments that the proposed device showed a significant improve ment in electricity generation and safety during extreme conditions. In addition to the electricity generation, the characteristics of the device were also studied by using various wave and device parameters.

Power recovery method for testing the efficiency of the ECD of an integrated generation unit for offshore wind power and ocean wave energy

Offshore wind power and ocean wave energy are clean,renewable and rich resources.The integrated generation unit for the two