Design, Construction, Reliability and Hydraulic Performance of an Innovative Wave Overtopping Device

The SSG (Sea Slot-cone Generator) is a wave energy converter of the overtopping type. The structure consists of a number of reservoirs one on the top of each others above the mean water level, in which the water of incoming waves is stored temporary. In each reservoir, expressively designed low head hydroturbines are converting the potential energy of the stored water into power. A yearly energy production of 320 MWh is foreseen for a 10 meter wide section. A key to success for the SSG will be the low cost of the structure and its robustness. During the last 2 years such a 1350 tonnes concrete structure has been under detailed design in Norway. The construction was planned to be installed during spring and summer 2008 at a small island Kvitsoy situated near Stavanger. Unfortunately environmental issues have demanded a movement of the project to another location. The actual situation is that some breakwaters under design are being investigated as a possible places for integrating the SSG structure.The paper describes the concept of the SSG wave energy converter, the structure and the studies that led to its design.The SSG (Sea Slot-cone Generator) is a wave energy converter of the overtopping type. The structure consists of a number of reservoirs one on the top of each others above the mean water level, in which the water of incoming waves is stored temporary. In each reservoir, expressively designed low head hydroturbines are converting the potential energy of the stored water into power. A yearly energy production of 320 MWh is foreseen for a 10 meter wide section. A key to success for the SSG will be the low cost of the structure and its robustness. During the last 2 years such a 1350 tonnes concrete structure has been under detailed design in Norway. The construction was planned to be installed during spring and summer 2008 at a small island Kvitsoy situated near Stavanger. Unfortunately environmental issues have demanded a movement of the project to another location. The actual situation is that some breakwaters under design are being investigated as a possible places for integrating the SSG structure.The paper describes the concept of the SSG wave energy converter, the structure and the studies that led to its design.