In this paper, we describe and provide a model of the heat dissipation inside the Liquid Metal Magnet Hydrodynamic Wave Energy Converter (LMMHD-WEC). There are two sources of heat: Joule heat losses in the LMMHD generator, and a little part of heat losses caused by friction in mechanical parts. Simulation results show that the temperature in the generator increases, but not significantly, and the converter external surface can be assumed as being perfectly cooled. So the LMMHD-WEC system temperature can be assumed safe during operation, according to the simulation, though not yet validated.
Ocean waves may become an unquestionable important clean energy sources in a near future. The possibility of converting wave energy into usable energy has inspired numerous inventors: more than one thousand patents has been registered by 1980 and the number has increased markedly since then (Falcão António F. de O., 2006). Difference converters use different working principles (oscillating bodies (Sá da Costa, J.,2003), oscillating water columns(Heath T,2000), overtopping devise(Kofoed JP,2006)) and are suited for different types of locations(off-shore, near-shore, on-shore). This paper concentrates on a particular WEC, the prototype of the Liquid Metal Magnet Hydrodynamic Wave Energy Converter (LMMHD-WEC). Liquid metal allows a significant increase of electricity production, but, because of the liquid metal goes through the generation channel, energy losses under the form of heat is inevitable, so that the temperature of the system may rise to unacceptable values. The paper is organized as follows: the first section briefly description the LMMHD-WEC system; then a dynamic function based on Newton's Second Law is given, from which the heat transfer models based on the first law of thermodynamics of the system are described; the simulation results are given and that is followed by the conclusions.
