Wave energy prospect of Bangladesh

Md. Junayed Sarker 1, Imranul Karim 2, Shirajum Munir 2

1

Department of EEE, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

2
Department of ECE, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
2
Department of ECE, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
E-mail: md.junayed.sarker@gmail.com; imran_rossy216@yahoo.com; mdshiraj@ualberta.ca

Abstract: Wave energy studies to date have aimed at finding

feasible solution of its realistic implementation to the
different parts of the world. Bangladesh, which has the
longest uninterrupted shoreline and a wide coastal area,
should be taken to concern. This paper will briefly reviews
the wave energy prospect in Bangladesh and describes about
major wave energy plants and its environmental impact on
marine nodes.

1. Introduction
Ocean waves represent a substantial renewable energy
resource. Waves are generated by the wind as it blows
across the ocean surface. They travel great distances
without significant losses and so act as an efficient energy
convey mechanism across thousands of kilometers.
Energy can be taken from waves almost everywhere but if
the waves are too small expenses will be too high. Wave
energy is stronger around the poles and around the
equator the water contains lesser potential. Any site in the
world with an average wave power level of over 15kW
per meter has the potential to generate wave energy at
competitive prices. It can be seen that for Bay of Bengal
the value is 15 kW per meter of crest width.
The country must develop a policy framework that
allows and encourages private investors to develop
renewable energy projects in order to realize the
enormous potential of renewable Bangladesh is
experiencing a severe electric power capacity crisis that is
only likely to worsen over the next 15 years. Further, over
seventy percent [1] of Bangladesh's population still lives
with no electricity, and the rate of grid expansion to
connect rural villages is threatened by the looming
capacity shortage. There are a number of fundamental
reasons for the crisis, but ultimately the country lacks the
fossil fuel resources required to conduct a large scale
grid-expansion program. Recently the electricity supply
deficiency is about 1500 MW /day [10] i.e. the total
supply is 3500 MW/day within the demand of
5000MW/day. Alternative approaches to electrifying the
country must be found. Wave power faces four primary
obstacles. Its very immature technologythere are about
80 different ways to snatch electricity from the ocean, and
not all of them will be winners.

2. Wave Data as Bangladesh perspective

Up to now no attempt has been made by Govt. of
Bangladesh to assess the prospects for harnessing energy

from sea waves in the Bay of Bengal. Wave power could

be a significant alternative source of energy in
Bangladesh with favorable wave conditions, especially
during the period beginning from late March to early
October. Waves are generally prominent and show a
distinct relation with the wind. Waves generated in the
Bay of Bengal as a result of the south-western wind
significant. Wave heights have been recorded by a wave
rider buoy and correlated with wind data. Maximum wave
height of over 2m, with an absolute maximum of 2.4 m on
the 29 July was recorded. The wave period varies
between 3 to 4 sec for waves of about 0.5 m and about 6
sec for waves of 2m. In Bangladesh wind speeds of up to
650 kmph (400 mph), 221 kmph (138 mph) and 416
kmph (260 mph) have been recorded in the years 1969,
1970 and 1989 respectively. Severe cyclonic storms and
storm surge of up to 15m have been reported. Plant must
also be able to survive the exceptional occurrence of very
high waves in storm conditions. Moreover, Coxs Bazar
one of the worlds longest natural sea beaches (120m) is
situated here, another famous Kuakata is 30km long and
the overall coast line of Bangladesh is 580 Km [9].

3. How wave is converted into Energy:

Wave energy calculated in different ways, at the very
beginning visual wave observations made by transiting
marine vessels comprise the largest and most
geographically comprehensive set of wave data available.
Table of monthly and annual wave vs. period are included
in a series called Summary of Synoptic Meteorological
Observations (SSMO) [2]. Later a set of table similar to
SSMOs, but much more comprehensive where wave data
were calculated via a hindcast [2] technique utilizing 20
years of data , with results considered more representative
of the actual wave climatology than visual estimates from
ship. The data comparison for both the technique is given
below:

Table 1 Comparison between SSMO and Hind cast

technique

SSMO
(height-m)

0.25
0.50
1.00
2.0
3.0
6.25

Hindcast
Technique

SSMO

(height-m)

(periodssec)

0.25
0.59
1.28
2.66
4.04
8.40

5.50
6.50
8.50
10.50
12.50
18.00

Hindcast
Technique
(periods-sec)

7.91
8.73
10.38
12.03
13.68
18.22

The two components of energy within waves are

potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is
associated with the form or elevation of the wave. Kinetic
energy is associated with the movement or velocity of the
water particles within the wave. For regular (sinusoidal)
waves [3],
E= (gH2)/8

(1)

Where, E=the total energy per unit of water surface

=mass density of ocean water
g=gravitational acceleration
H=the wave height form from the crest
And the relation between the wave period (T), and the
wave length (L), is:
L=gT2/2

(2)

The transfer of wave energy is known as wave power

or energy flux. Small aptitude waves in deep water (water
depth>L/2) will, according to linear theory, have a power
per unit of wave crest width [3] of:
P=E(c/2) =E (L/2T) =g2 H2 T/32 ~ H2T

(3)

Where c=wave speed or phase velocity

H=wave height in meter
T=wave period in second.
For Bangladesh it is already mentioned that wave
height is 2m and wave period is 6sec.So the wave energy
will be 24 KW/m, but for random seas the corresponding
relation becomes,
P~ 0.5 H2T

energy sources for Bangladesh are solar energy, wind

energy, biomass, biogas and hydropower. [11]
It has been predicted that 5 percent demand for electricity
would be met by 2015 through utilizing renewable energy
while 10 percent demand by the year 2020.The
motivating thing is that all these calculation are done
without considering wave energy.
Currently, the renewable energy contributes less than
1.0 percent [11] of the country's total electricity
generation of around 3,500 MW against the estimated
demand for over 5,000 MW [11].

4. Different Wave Energy Plants

Wave energy conversion devices create a system of
reacting forces, in which two or more bodies move
relative to each other, while at least one body interacts
with the waves. The body moved by the waves is called
the displacer, while the body that reacts to the displacer is
called the reactor. There are many ways that such a
system may be configured. The best-known wave energy
conversion device concepts are described below:
Oscillating Water Columns (OWC)
Waves cause the water column to rise and fall, which
alternately compresses and depressurize an air column.
The energy is extracted from the resulting oscillating air
flow by using a Wells turbine.
The oscillating water column (OWC) [7] operates
much like a wind turbine via the principle of wave
induced air pressurization.
Some sort of closed
containment housing (air chamber) is placed above the
water and the passage of waves changes the water level
within the housing. If the housing is completely sealed,
the rising and falling water level will increase and
decrease the air pressure respectively within the housing.
With this concept in mind, we can place a turbine on top
of the housing through which air may pass into and out
of. Air will flow into the housing during a wave trough
and will flow out of the housing during a wave crest.
Because of this bidirectional air flow, the turbine must be
designed to rotate in only one direction no matter the
direction of air flow.

(4)

Then we get 12 KW/m, if we consider hindcast

technique then hindcast height will be 2.66m and hindcast
period will be 8.41sec and then the energy becomes
P~ 0.5x2.662x8.41=29.75 KW/m

(5)

So its a big difference between these two results,

waves are irregular so proper equalization is tough but the
coastline of bay of Bengal generates approximately
15KW/m [4].As it is mentioned earlier that Bangladesh
has
around
580
Km
of
coastline
so
(580x1000x15)=8700000Kw=8700Mw of power is
generated along the shore. It can be said from the
following fact that if we able to manage the 20% of the
coastline then around 1740Mw of energy can be
extracted, which is equivalent to the 30% of present
Bangladesh energy needs. Presently the main renewable

Fig. 1 Oscillating Water column device

Overtopping Devices (OTD)

Ocean waves are elevated into a reservoir above the sea
level, which store the water. The energy is extracted by
using the difference in water level between the reservoir
and the sea by using low head Kaplan turbines.
An overtopping device is essentially a floating
reservoir, a partially-submerged structure consisting of

walls over which waves topple, filling the reservoir and

creating a head of water which turns hydro turbines at the
bottom of the reservoir as the water is released back into
the ocean. (Example: Wave Dragon.) Apart from their
conceptual design and configuration, wave energy
conversion devices may be characterized in terms of their
placement or location. Wave power may be captured
either at the shoreline, near to shore, or offshore. The
distinction between near shore and offshore is not
rigidly defined. It may be a function of distance from the
shoreline, depth of water, or both. Devices typically are
optimized for operation within a particular depth range.
Both water depth and the energy content of the waves
tend to increase with distance from shore. Distance from
shore also affects accessibility (for deployment, retrieval,
operation, and maintenance) and visual impact; at any
given site

Fig. 2 overtopping Devices

The wave activated bodies (WABs) can be further

categorized in sub-groups describing the energy
extraction by the principle motion of the floating body
(heave, pitch and roll). The motions of surge, sway and
yaw requiring an external restoring force (mooring) in
order to return to its original equilibrium position, and are
of less interest (for energy extraction) at this stage for
WECs than the purely oscillatory motions of heave, roll
and pitch.

5. Economically viable wave plant for

Bangladesh:
Sensitivity studies on a wide range of devices (1)
indicated that, in order to improve the economics of wave
energy, the key areas requiring development were (in
order of importance): device efficiency, capital costs,
availability and operating costs.
Duck devices: The 'duck', invented by Stephen Salter of
Edinburgh University [6], is probably the best known
device concept of all and the original 'terminator'. It
consists of a dynamic element, the asymmetric cam shape
which responds with a nodding action to the incoming.
This very complex system is housed in a large vacuum
cylinder to minimize windage losses and is required to
achieve a long, perhaps 25-year, maintenance-free life. If
it were to work, the duck could probably generate
electricity for around l0 p/kWh [6] at today's prices but
the chances of success seem small.
The Sea Snake: Coming in the form of a 180m-long
tube, the Sea Snake will be installed next spring at the
European Marine Energy Center in Orkney, northern
Scotland. The wave generator was ordered by German
power company E.ON and can generate about 740KW of

power [12]. The developers believe that by the year 2015,

the Sea Snake will have a capacity of about 20MW,
which is enough to power 30,000 homes. When built as
envisaged, each full-scale sea-snake would be 200 m
long, 7 m in diameter and deployed in water depths of
between 40 and 100 m [12]. Initial assessments indicate
that Anaconda would be rated at a power output of one
megawatt (roughly the electricity consumption of 2000
houses) and might be able to generate power at a cost of
six pence per kW/hr or less [12]. Although about twice as
much as the cost of electricity generated from traditional
coal-fired power stations, this compares very favorably
with generation costs for other leading wave-energy
concepts. This can be a very good option for Bangladesh.
Estimated costs of generation have already been
quoted for several of the devices. These now range from
4-6 p/kWh to beyond 30p/kWh [13].In each case these are
based on the expected capital cost of each design, its
design life and an allowance for repair and maintenance
charges divided by the expected energy output [8]. Both
cost and productivity factors are important but the major
differences between, say, duck and OWC. Production
costs are primarily contained in the productivity
estimates. Several factors combine to produce the
productivity estimates and the actual calculation, over all
operating sea states, is not a simple one.

6. Impact of wave energy machines in marine

environment:
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF WAVE ENERGY MACHINES [4]

Problem Area

Impacts

Animals

Underwater noise emissions

Above water noise emissions
Accidents: Animal collisions with device
Animals swept into chambers
Food chain changes due to change in Environment
Electromagnetic fields and vibrations affect mammal sonar
and fish reproduction
Unnatural reef (possibly desirable)
Fauna and
Seabed

Loss of seabed due to cabling and

structural foundation
Sedimentation structural changes
Fauna changes due to foundation/hard
Substrates
Fauna influenced by electromagnetic
Fields

Coastline

Current and sediment changes for shoreline devices

Decreased shoreline wave intensity due to offshore devices
(possibly desirable)

Visual
Impact
Pollution

Above water visual intrusion

Oil leakage
Debris from ship collisions

Studies on the environmental impact [8] of wave energy

devices are in progress. Potential problems are the effects
of absorbing wave energy on inshore currents, fish and
coastal deposition. A more serious potential problem is
the effect on navigation, particularly the hazards if a

device breaks away from its moorings under storm

conditions.

7. Conclusions
Given the future of conventional energy sources, we
need lots of research on all kinds of alternative energy, it
observes. Right now, wind energy and solar energy are
in the spotlight because theyve been developed for a
longer time. With wave energy, the potential is large, but
the engineering science is relatively young. We need to
do more research.

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