Wave energy is a promising source of renewable energy obtained from the kinetic motion of ocean waves. The immense power held within these waves presents a significant opportunity. In fact, it is projected that the theoretical annual energy potential of waves along the coasts of the United States amounts to a staggering 2.64 trillion kilowatt-hours (KWh). This quantity is equivalent to approximately 64% of the total electricity generated by utility-scale facilities in the United States during 2021.

The following overview videos discussed the wave energy and the status of its development in Europe and US. An array of technology and companies were introduced in the videos. They provide you the leads for further research.

1. Why wave power isn't everywhere (yet) (11:16)

2. How Waves Could Power A Clean Energy Future (14:56)

3. Wave Power Could Be Energy's Next Big Leap (10:56)

4. Scientists work to harness power from Hawaii's waves (8:03)

A recent project at Stevens Institute of Technology (where we visited early this year) has won an award and entered its technology commercialization phase. It may be a good example for us to format our project with our own innovation.

• A Window into the Future of Wave Energy (3:31)

An excellent online textbook for ocean waves is Coastal Dynamics by Judith Bosboom & Marcel J.F. Stive from Delft University of Technology. Several chapters are worth diving in and start building your basic theoretical understanding of ocean waves.

1. 3: Ocean Waves

2. 5: Coastal hydrodynamics

Understanding ocean waves energy is the foundation to design, build and optimize the wave energy converters (WECs). An electronic book: Handbook of Ocean Wave Energy by Arthur Pecher and Jens Peter Kofoed (Editors) provides a rich resource to understand many aspects of wave energy technology. Though the contents may not be the most updated, it provides a framework to approach the WEC design problems and understand the context, impacts and issues of the WEC technology. The following chapters can be a good starting point.   

• Chapter 1: Introduction

• Chapter 2: The Wave Energy Sector

• Chapter 3: The Wave Energy Resource

• Chapter 6: Hydrodynamics of WECs

Coastal Wiki is a public website containing a large number of articles dealing with scientific, technological and management aspects of coastal zones. It covers many aspects such as

• Coastal & marine ecosystems,

• Coastal & marine observation & monitoring‏‎ 

• Coastal & marine pollution 

• Coastal protection 

• Physical coastal & marine processes‏‎ 

• Integrated coastal zone management 

• Climate change, impacts & adaptation

There is an article of on the Coastal Wiki that gives a comprehensive overview about the Wave Energy Converters. 

The aforementioned resources can serve as tutorials to assist student researchers in comprehending and defining their problems and challenges, as well as acquiring the necessary vocabulary, concepts, and theories related to WEC design. However, to conduct research in the field of WECs, it is essential to perform a comprehensive literature survey to understand the existing body of knowledge, including the strengths and limitations of prior WEC designs. The following review papers delve into the classification, structure, and development status of various wave energy converters and the simulation tools to study them. They also provide additional technical literature sources for each type of WEC, and some even offer insights into experimental and commercially deployed systems. Conducting a thorough survey of WEC technology marks the beginning of genuine academic research of WECs. The literature survey process involves gathering and organizing information, analyzing and synthesizing data, and drawing conclusions and making suggestions. These review papers themselves serve as exemplary models for conducting such surveys.

1. A review of wave energy converter technology (2009)

2. An up-to-date technologies review and evaluation of wave energy converters (2015)

3. Wave energy convertors (WEC): A review of the technology and power generation (2016)

4. A review of the technologies for wave energy extraction (2018)

5. A review of wave energy technology from a research and commercial perspective (2021)

6. Review of Wave Energy Converter Power Take-Off Systems, Testing Practices, and Evaluation Metrics (2022)

7. Review of WEC-Sim Development and Applications (2022)

Wave energy converters (WECs) can be broadly categorized into eight distinct types, with each variation harnessing specific characteristics of ocean waves and marine geology. Here are additional resources for each category of wave energy converters (WECs).

Attenuator

•  Attenuator wave energy converters (2022)

• The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter 

Point Absorber (PAWEC)

• A Review of Point Absorber Wave Energy Converters (2022)

• Point Absorber Wave Energy Harvesters - A Review of Recent Developments (2019)

• Analysis and wave tank verification of the performance of point absorber WECs with different configurations (2021)

Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC)

• The Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (2004)

• Reference Model 5 (RM5): Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter (2015)

• Performance of A Near Shore Oscillating Wave Surge Converter With Variable Flap Configurations (2021)

Oscillating Water Column (OWC)

•  A review of oscillating water columns (2012)

• Oscillating-water-column wave energy converters and air turbines: A review (2016)

Overtopping/Terminator Device

• Overtopping Wave Energy Converters- general aspects and stage of development  (2011)

• Full-Scale Prototype of An Overtopping Breakwater For Wave Energy Conversion (2016)

• Wave Dragon MW (2009)

Submerged Pressure Differential

• Submerged Pressure Differential Wave Energy Converter (2011)

• Modelling and testing of a pressure-differential wave energy converter with flexible membranes (2023)

Bulge Wave 

• Case study Anaconda (2012)

• Flexible membrane structures for wave energy harvesting- A review of the developments, materials and computational modelling approaches (2021)

Rotating Mass Device

• CEFOW – Penguin Array (2018) 

• Robotic Juggler Offshore WEC (2019)

• WITT- Harvesting Energy From Subsea, Vortex-Induced Vibration (2019)

In addition to the eight major types of WECs, there are hybrid WECs.

Hybrid WEC

•  Wavevoltaics- a new hybrid wave + photon energy device (2018)

•  Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Novel Hybrid Offshore Wind and Wave Energy System (2022)

When considering a specific wave energy converter (WEC) technology, it is crucial to conduct a thorough evaluation and comparison. However, due to the varying designs, dimensions, and scales of each WEC type, comparing them is not a straightforward task. To address this issue, the following resources provide valuable insights and approaches for facilitating such comparisons:

• Performance Evaluation of Wave Energy Converters (2012)

• Wave Energy Converters (WECs) (2013)

• Review on Power Performance and Efficiency of Wave Energy Converters (2019)

• Wave Energy Converters - Barriers and Drivers (2020)

• Wave Energy Converters - Comparison & Design Aspects (2020)

• Benchmarking marine renewable energy technologies through LCA- Wave energy converters in the Mediterranean (2022)