Atargis Energy Corporation recently completed a successful testing campaign at the Texas A&M Offshore Technology Research Center in College Station, TX. This testing campaign was designed to establish the performance of the Atargis proprietary Cycloidal Wave Energy Converter (CycWEC) in a large offshore wave basin facility at a 1:10 scale.
One of the major achievements is the conversion of power in simulated deep ocean waves to electric power. The 1:10 scale model delivered 370 Watts of electric power from the incoming wave. This is the first electricity produced by any CycWEC.
These tests, which are supported by the Department of Energy as well as private investors, have successfully advanced the Technology Readiness level of this novel wave energy converter. We expect further improved performance as our prototypes come closer to full ocean scale.
Atargis Energy will use all data and experience gathered to design a full scale ocean going prototype next. This prototype will have a design power of 5MW, which is enough to power more than 3000 average US households. The prototype design will then be scaled down for one more round of wave basin tests to be conducted in 2013, before the first ocean prototype at 1:4 scale will be deployed and tested in 2014.
Beyond electricity production and scientific data which will be published in upcoming conferences in open literature, these tests yielded a wealth of experience on how to improve the structural, electrical and software design of this type of wave energy converter. These improvements will not just increase performance, but also decrease construction cost and improve reliability for the upcoming prototypes. They are at least as important of a technical outcome in reaching the next technology readiness level as the actual data itself. By completing the present tests, Atargis Energy has advanced the technology readiness level of this wave energy converter from TRL 3 to TRL 4.
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Offshore WIND staff, July 27, 2012; Image: atargis