Review on Wave Energy Technologies and Power Equipment for Tropical Reefs

As a promising renewable resource to replace part of the energy supply, the wave energy is having more and more interest worldwide. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of different wave energy technologies in order to identify more promising methods for power supply to tropical reefs. It starts with summarizing the characteristics of tropical reefs in which the most suitable places to be exploited are shown, and the classification of different types of wave energy converters according to their construction features. It is also described in detail each of the stages that are part of the energy conversion. On the basis of the characteristics of tropical coral reefs, the paper puts forward a new type of raft wave energy device which can achieve high operational reliability and adaptability with cost-effective deployment.