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Harnessing the Power of Wave Energy Converters

Presenter: 
Dr. Brad Buckham, Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria
When: 
April 24, 2013 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: 

Lower Level Boardroom (Room 002), University House 1, University of Victoria.

See map.

View Presentation video

Dr. Brad Buckham presents "Harnessing the Power of Wave Energy Converters" as part of the joint PCIC-PICS Pacific Climate Seminar Series.

Wave energy is often cited as an important entry in Canada's future portfolio of clean energy sources.  However, present day descriptions of the Canadian wave energy opportunity contain little to no specific detail on the form of the resource, the conversion technologies, or their impacts.

At UVic, the West Coast Wave Initiative (WCWI) is using wave monitoring buoys, coastal wave propagation models, time domain WEC simulations and community, regional and provincial electrical grid models to evaluate how, when and where wave energy converters (WEC) can benefit Canadians.  In this presentation, the tools being implemented in the WCWI, the people involved, the WEC technologies being considered and the program objectives and challenges are discussed.  The WCWI's predominantly computational methodology is compared to the development model being used in other wave energy development programs around the world.  Early data and computer model results are provided as an example of the work that will be occurring over the next three years of the project.

Dr. Brad Buckham works to improve the designs and operating strategies for offshore technologies using computer simulations.  Presently, his work focuses on two particular cabled devices: remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used in deepsea explorations and moored wave energy converters.  The common problem in both applications is the cable dynamics: the cable mechanics can dominate the motion of either system.  Over the past fifteen years, Dr. Buckham's research group has evolved simulation software that can be used to design and study ROV and WEC systems.  Dr. Buckham's WEC research is now executed from within the West Coast Wave Initiative (WCWI) - a $2.5M program funded by Natural Resources Canada, the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and several private sector partners.  Dr. Buckham received a BC ASI Research Award for 2004-2005 and was named a BC Innovation Council Entrepreneurial Fellow in 2009 in recognition for his support of small high tech companies in the ROV and WEC fields.  As the WCWI Director, Dr. Buckham works to establish a foundation of resource knowledge, community engagement and technical know-how that can be used by his partners in future demonstrations of wave energy conversion in British Columbia.