Ansys software converts waves into electricity

An Ansys product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 3, 2009

Ansys, a provider of simulation software and technologies, has announced that its software is helping transform the forces of waves into electricity.

Green Ocean Energy, a UK-based renewable-energy company, is using technology from Ansys to develop devices that will reliably generate renewable power from the motion of the seas.

The project's complex development process includes rigorous technical requirements, severe environmental conditions and strict product delivery deadlines.

Green Ocean Energy identified the advanced engineering simulation tools from Ansys as a critical element in getting the product to market in a cost-effective and timely manner.

With rising fuel costs and environmental concerns, governments and organisations around the world are focusing on clean, safe, sustainable and alternative energy sources for power generation.

Green Ocean Energy is developing two devices that will harness the waters of the north Atlantic: the Ocean Treader and the Wave Treader.

They are designed to bob on the surface of the ocean while waves cause attached floating arms to move up and down to power onboard generators.

Electricity is sent back to shore via underwater cables.

Each machine is designed to produce 500kW of electricity - enough to power 125 homes - so a farm of 30 such devices would have a rating of 15MW.

Hydrodynamic and structural analysis tools from Ansys are being applied to address one of the primary challenges: reaching a balance between structural strength and weight restrictions.

With an expected 25-year design life, the machines must withstand rough waters and gale-force winds; conversely, structural members must be lightweight to keep production costs within budget and to allow for sufficient floatation.

George Smith, managing director of Green Ocean Energy, said: 'Because prototypes cost more than USD3m [GBP1.8m] each and take months to construct, numerous rounds of hardware test-and-redesign cycles are impractical.

'The virtual prototyping capabilities of the Ansys tools have been a critical element in getting the products to produce maximum energy output as well as to operate effectively for decades.

'As a result, engineering simulation is helping our company meet all technical requirements, deadlines and business objectives,' he added.

Wave-powered energy has not been economically feasible until recently.

Dipankar Choudhury, vice-president of corporate product strategy and planning at Ansys, said: 'Significant engineering hurdles must be overcome to develop efficient, reliable and economical wave-powered electrical generation systems that could be deployed on a mass-production basis.

'Because our technology provides detailed insight into the behaviour of designs, it is ideal for developing a wide range of products that can benefit the environment, inventing low-mileage and clean-energy automobiles, tracking pollutant plumes, increasing the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants, optimising energy production from fossil fuels and engineering safer and more sustainable buildings.'.