Fig 1.
Bathymetry of the Brazilian Coast.
Bathymetry source [18].
Table 1.
Locations, water depths and distances to the coast for the points considered.
Fig 2.
One-dimensional mean wave spectra for January.
The figure shows the 1D monthly mean wave spectrum between 1979 and 2015 for 9 of the 49 studied points.
Fig 3.
One-dimensional mean wave spectra for July.
The figure shows the 1D monthly mean wave spectrum between 1979 and 2015 for 9 of the 49 studied points.
Fig 4.
Bi-dimensional January mean wave spectra.
The figure shows the 2D monthly mean wave spectrum between 1979 and 2015 for 9 of the 49 studied points.
Fig 5.
Bi-dimensional July mean wave spectra.
The figure shows the 2D monthly mean wave spectrum between 1979 and 2015 for 9 of the 49 studied points.
Fig 6.
Mapping of the ERA-Interim data.
(a) Annual mean significant wave height, (b) annual mean wave energy period and (c) annual mean wave power.
Fig 7.
(a) Annual mean Hs and the frequency of occurrence of Hs higher than 2 m; (b) yearly Hs statistical parameter of maximum, 95th percentile and standard deviation; (c) annual mean Te.
Fig 8.
Parameters of the wave direction.
Annual mean wave direction and standard deviation.
Fig 9.
Directional distribution of significant wave height.
The figure shows the frequency of occurrence of Hs per MWD for 9 of the 49 studied points.
Fig 10.
Statistical parameters of the seasonal Hs.
(a) Mean, (b) maximum, (c) 95th percentile and (d) standard deviation of the seasonal Hs analysis at the 49 selected points. DJF: December, January, February; MAM: March, April, May; JJA: June, July, August; and SON: September, October, November.
Fig 11.
Bivariate distribution of occurrence in terms of Hs and Te.
The figure shows 9 of the 49 points studied. The lines shows the pairs of Hs and Te with the same amount of wave energy.
Fig 12.
(a) Annual mean wave power; (b) yearly wave power statistical parameter of maximum, 95th percentile and standard deviation; (c) temporal variability coefficients of COV, SV and MV.
Fig 13.
Average seasonal wave power resource.
DJF: December, January, February; MAM: March, April, May; JJA: June, July, August; and SON: September, October, November).
Fig 14.
Monthly average values of wave power resource.
Table 2.
Characteristics of the WECs selected.
Fig 15.
Annual wave energy output for analyzed WECs.
Fig 16.
Comparison between the capacity factors for analyzed WECs.
Aquabuoy (blue), Pelamis (red) and Wave Dragon (black).
Table 3.
Comparison between the capacity factor of points P1, P17, P36 and P48 in Brazil and some studies done in the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Fig 17.
Variability of the WECs’ capacity factor in function of the directional distribution of the incident waves at points P1, P17, P36 and P48.