Wave energy generation and integration - A buttress for the national power grid

自20世纪60年代以来，加拿大开发了大量水电资产，建造了一系列令人印象深刻的水力发电设施。然而，随着这些大型设施的老化，出现了对替代电力能源的需求。由于这些国家的水电设施是淡水资源，而且位于该国偏远的内陆地区，这一需求更加突出。为了将这些发电设施与人口中心连接起来，仅在公元前一年就修建了18286公里的输电线路--足以连接从温哥华到圣约翰的横贯加拿大的高速公路。替代的发电方式可以跨地理边界分配国家的能源发电，从而减轻高压输电线路的负担。如果能够开发出可行的发电技术，就可以使用先进的控制和管理策略来调节来自多个互补来源的电力供应。然而，最容易采用的能源替代品依赖于燃烧碳氢化合物(天然气、柴油)。因此，电网的支撑是以增加温室气体(二氧化碳等)为代价的。可再生能源技术正处于不同的成熟阶段。在可再生能源中，波浪能非常有前途，因为加拿大拥有巨大的波浪资源库和巨大的水力储备，可以用来抵消间歇性波浪能源的波动。*拟议的研究将开发可再生波能转换技术，对能源系统技术进行建模，并通过实验测试演示如何管理波浪资源的可变供应，以有效补充国家电网。

Since the 1960s, Canada has exploited large hydro assets to create an impressive array of hydroelectric generation facilities. However, as these large installations age a need for alternative sources of electrical energy has emerged.  This need is heightened by that fact that the nations hydroelectric facilities are freshwater resources and are located in remote interior regions of the country. To connect these generation facilities to the population centers, 18286 km of transmission lines have been constructed in BC alone - more than enough to string the Trans-Canada highway from Vancouver to St. John's and back. Alternative means for electricity generation can distribute the nations energy generation across geographical boundaries and thus ease the burden on high voltage transmission lines.  If viable generating technologies can be developed, advanced control and management strategies can be used to regulate power supply from multiple, complimentary sources. However, the most readily adoptable energy alternatives rely on burning hydrocarbons (natural gas, diesel.) and thus, the buttressing of the power grid comes at the expense of increased greenhouse gas (CO2, etc.) emmisions.   Renewable energy technologies are in various stages of maturity. Of renewable sources, wave energy is very promising as Canada has a vast wave resource  and vast hydro reservs that can be used to offset fluctuations in an intermittent wave energy source.  The proposed research will develop renewable wave energy conversion technology, model the energy systems technology and, through experimental testing, demonstrate how the variable supply of a wave resource can be managed to effectively supplement the national grid.