Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is upon us and renewable energy sources are needed as one part of the solution. Humanity needs to take responsibility for its actions, to be able to hand on a sustainable society for future generations to come.
Wave power is one renewable energy source that today is unexploited, but is thought to possess global potential in same extent as hydro power. Several concepts of electric conversion from wave power are being developed, few are thought to reach commercial potential. One of the most promising techniques at the time were by point absorbers consisting of a linear generator, attached to a buoy at the surface with a rope, developed at Uppsala University. The technique of linear generators is being tested at the Swedish west coast. The test site is situated at the Bohuslän coastal area where marine geological surveys have been done for suitable locations for a possible future full scale commercial wave power park.
Possible impact on hydrography and sediment transport by linear generators standing on the bottom is investigated in this master thesis. Current and sediment changes can have effects on ecosystems, for example by sediment trapping and accumulation of pollutants attached that bind to the sediment. Simulations with the marine modelling package, MIKE 21 by Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI), have been conducted. Modelling at a possible future location in the Bohuslän coastal area has been done. As no full scale park exists, a cluster of 60 generators have been modeled, which is the number of generators in a cluster sharing a low voltage substation. The results showed on low impact of local scale in current speed and sediment movement. Previous investigations of such impact by wave power devices are few and the main comparisons have been done to off shore wind power parks in Denmark and Sweden.