Point Absorber
Point Absorber
Device that absorbs energy from the relative motion between a wave-activated, moving body and a fixed structure.
Point absorbers extract energy through the relative motion between a body that moves in response to wave forcing and fixed or immobile structures. The moving body may be on the surface or submerged, and the 'fixed' body may be the seabed or another structure less affected by wave action. Their principal dimension is small relative to the length of waves they are absorbing energy from. Electricity may be produced using a linear or rotary generator, or a fluid may be pumped using mechanical force and motion directly.
Photo: Ocean Power Technologies