House-sized buoy arrays could capture 90% of wave energy

Researchers from Germany and Australia have proposed a way to capture more energy from ocean waves, but the system remains theoretical and has not yet been tested.

In simulation models, a fixed array of 60 connected buoys converted 90% of potential wave energy, even when wave directions varied significantly. Some buoys were described as being as large as small houses.

The proposed buoys would resemble flat drums on the water’s surface, linked to spring and generator units on the seabed. Each buoy would be tuned to a specific wave rhythm, known as its resonance frequency. Professor Malte Peter of the University of Augsburg compared the process with timing a child’s swing: waves need to arrive at suitable intervals for the buoy’s motion to produce the most power.

The larger array is designed to work like a sieve. If a wave misses one buoy, it can reach another tuned to it. The researchers extended an earlier 2D model into 3D, enlarged the array and adapted it to more wave directions. They say each buoy could power several hundred households, but installation and maintenance would be expensive. Field tests and further research are still needed.