Wave energy potential of peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Wave power potential along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, facing South China Sea, bounded by latitudes 3.50 N and 6.5o N and longitudes 1020 E and 104.0o E, is investigated based on two-hourly data, covering a 12-year period. The correlation between maximum wave height (Hmax) and significant wave height (Hs) for the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia can be given by01324.0494.1max+=sHH. The values of peak periods (Tp) and mean periods (Tmean) can be correlated with new model as Tmean = a1 * exp - ((Tp -b1)/c1)2 + a2 * exp -((Tp -b2)/c2)2 + a3 * exp - ((Tp -b3)/c3)2 where, a1 = -269.9, b1 = 9.609, c1 = 2.225, a2 = 271.9, b2 = 9.615, c2 = 2.242, a3 = 3.254, b3 = 6.903 and c3 = 7.812. Total wave energy was around 1.8 x 107 Wh/m in an average year, whereas the average wave power less than 6500 W/m. More than sixty percent of the annual wave energy is provided by significant wave heights less than 1.2 m. The wave peak periods less than 8 s accounted for more than seventy percent of total wave energy. The main directions in terms of wave energy for whole year are north, which accounts for more than 40%, followed at some distance by northeast, southwest and south. During northeast monsoon season, in general main directions in terms of wave energy are north and northeast, which accounts more than 80% of total wave energy.