The movements in the sea water are the waves, tides and ocean currents. As powerful winds blow along the surface of the sea, friction is caused which makes the surface water move. Depending on the power of the wind the moving water takes the form of waves. Powerful winds cause larger waves. The waves spread their water over the shore, one after another.

WAVE POWER

Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work- for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or pumping of water into reservoirs. Wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the study gyre of ocean currents. Wave-power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology, although there have been attempts to use it since at least 1890. In 2008, the first experimental Wave Farm was opened in Portugal, at the Agucadoura Wave Park. Combining wave power with offshore wind power has been gaining interest in the scientific literature, as it offers several advantageous synergies.

WHAT IS WAVE ENERGY?

The energy in waves comes from the movement of the ocean and the changing heights and speed of the swells. Kinetic energy, the energy of motion, in waves is tremendous. Wave energy is an irregular and oscillating low-frequency energy source that can be converted to a 60-Hertz frequency and can then be added to the electric utility grid.

WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER

A machine able to exploit wave power is generally known as a Wave Energy Converter (WEC).

PELAMIS WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER

The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a technology that uses the motion of ocean surface waves to create electricity. The machine is made up of connected sections which flex and bend as wave pass; it is this motion which is used to generate electricity.

THE THREE MOST WELL DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGIES

Generating technologies of deriving electrical power from the ocean include wave power, tidal power, ocean thermal energy conversion, ocean currents, ocean winds and salinity gradients. Of these, the three most well-developed technologies are : wave power, tidal power and ocean thermal energy conversion.

THE NAMES OF SOME POWER STATIONS THAT RUN ON WAVE POWER

1) Azura Wave Power Device- United States.
2) Orkney Wave Power Station- United Kingdom.
3) Mutriku Breakwater Wave Plant- Spain.
4) Agucadoura Wave Farm- Portugal.
5) Islay Limpet- United Kingdom.
6) SDE Sea Waves Power Plant- Israel.

WAVE ENERGY PLANTS AND POTENTIAL IN INDIA

There are no big wave energy plants in India except the Pilot Plant at Vizhinjham Fisheries Harbour near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Maharashtra government has built project would generate 15 to 20 kilowatt of electricity located at Borya and Budhal villages in coastal Ratnagiri district.

THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF A WAVE

Waves are divided into several parts. The crest is the highest point on a wave, while the trough is the lowest point. Wavelength is the horizontal distance between the crests of two consecutive waves. Wave height is a vertical distance between a wave’s crest and the trough.

OCEANOGRAPHY

Oceanography, also known as Oceanology and marine science, is the branch of the earth science that studies the ocean. It covers a wide range of topics, including waves, ocean currents, marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries.

TSUNAMI

Sea waves which can go very high are called tsunami. Tremors produced by intense earthquakes that occur in the sea create gigantic waves. When these waves reach the shore, they become very powerful. These tsunami waves cause widespread devastation when they reach and hit the shore. Some islands may be totally disappear due to this. The most common cause of tsunamis is earthquakes. But volcanoes can also cause tsunamis.