Microcontroller based instrumentation for control and PC based data acquisition system for a prototype wave energy plant

The wave energy group at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, in coordination with the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Madras has successfully installed a pilot wave energy plant of the oscillating water column (OWC) type, at Vizhinjam, on the west coast of India. The wave energy plant (WEP) consists of a concrete caisson OWC pneumatically driving a Wells type turbine. The turbine is mechanically coupled to an Induction generator (IG). The stator of the IG is connected to the electrical grid of the Kerala State Electricity Board. This paper describes the control instrumentation and data acquisition aspects of the WEP. Sample data collected on the power module are also provided in the form of graphs.