Decarbonising the Fishing Industry Through Wave Energy: Harnessing Power and Dampening Roll Motions
Wave energy converters absorb the energy of the waves to produce electricity. For fishing vessels that spend extensive time at sea, this presents an abundant and reliable energy source. Implementing these systems reduces dependence on diesel engines and lowers fuel consumption, directly decreasing carbon emissions. The generated electricity can power onboard equipment, refrigeration systems, and even propulsion in hybrid setups.
Beyond energy generation, this project proposes a wave energy system that interacts with a vessel's roll motions—the side-to-side rocking movement caused by waves. The systems can absorb the energy from roll motion modes, converting it into electrical power while simultaneously stabilizing the vessel. Dampening roll motions increases crew safety and comfort, reduces the risk of equipment damage, and improves overall operational efficiency.
The concept
The project is proposed and financed by SENJAFANGST AS, with support from the RF Arktis regional fund (Troms and Finnmark). The concept consists of fitting articulated external flaps at the bilge, which are connected to a power take off (PTO) to convert the force – velocity of the flaps – into useful energy.
The methodology
Hydrodynamic simulations were carried out to compute the responses of a small reference vessel and populate a power matrix targeted at a reference deployment site in Norway. The geometry of the simplified flaps was parametrically varied, resulting in 62,424 response spectra being computed for each of the relevant degrees of freedom.
Design solutions
The most attractive configurations at this stage can then be chosen from the computed metrics, including the mean annual energy production and the estimated forces to which the system is subject.