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Field Experiment of a Wave Power Extracting Caisson Breakwater

by Hiroaki Nakada, Ministry of Transport, Niigata, Japan,
Hideaki Ohneda, Ministry of Transport, Niigata, Japan,
Masazumi Shikamori, Ministry of Transport, Niigata, Japan,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastal Zone '91

Abstract:

The Ministry of Transport of Japan (MOT) is currently developing a fixed-OWC wave power converter called a wave power extracting caisson. This device can be used as caissons for composite-type breakwaters and sea walls, thus function as a breakwater and a wave power device at the same time. The combination of the wave power converter and the breakwater is expected to reduce the cost of power generation by the converter and also to increase the stability as the breakwater. The First District Port Construction Bureau, MOT and the Joint Study that the Coastal Development Institute of Technology conducted have started a field verification study for the wave power extracting caisson breakwater since 1987 at Sakata Port. The construction works of the caisson and other electric apparatuses were also installed. The system started the electric power generation in the autumn of 1989, and the observation work on the wave power converter is being carried out and is scheduled to continue till March 1991. This paper describes the results of the field experiments as summarized below. As a breakwater, the wave power extracting caisson breakwater has the characteristics of high stability and low wave reflection. The wave resisting design of the breakwaters has been satisfactorily verified. It has also been proven that the performance as a energy converter of the caisson is almost the same as originally designed. Despite its special structure, no particular problems have arisen in construction of the wave power extracting caisson breakwater when compared with other breakwaters. One of the purposes of the experiments reported in the paper is to utilize the fluctuating power output generated under this system, for which various appliciances are now being used. The possibility of utilization of the wave energy has been proved as the result of various experiments and researches reported in this paper.

Subject Headings: Hydro power | Coastal protection structures | Breakwaters | Caissons | Electric power | Water waves | Wave generation | Japan | Asia

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