Aquamarine Power Limited (APL) was responsible for developing the Oyster oscillating wave surge converter (OWSC) technology. APL deployed a full-scale 315kW Oyster 1 at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) test site in August 2009, followed by a second generation machine rated at 800kW, Oyster 800, in August 2011. Experience from these deployments has provided valuable learning to other developers now following in their footsteps. In parallel with device deployments, APL had a strong research focus through a longstanding arrangement with Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). A group of engineers were permanently based at QUB to investigate many novel approaches to scale modelling and capturing energy using an OWSC.

In 2015 Aquamarine Power Limited (APL) went into administration and the intellectual property from that company was acquired by WES.

This IP contained data from a range of exploratory small-scale tank testing campaigns which investigated novel features and improving the understanding of performance drivers for an OWSC device type. These tests were completed over the course of the company’s trading history, and the data exists in a raw form without comprehensive supporting reporting and documentation of conclusions. This project documents the findings from the exploratory testing completed by APL, and also records the experience gained in modelling PTO systems for small-scale tank testing.

Through this project, WES wishes to draw together these research activities into a coherent and accessible series of reports, which allows the data to be understood and used productively by developers and researchers. These reports have been prepared on behalf of WES by APL’s former Head of Research and Development (now of Cerebreon Technologies Limited).

 

Additional reports, documents and data files referenced here may not be publicly available.

Project Keywords: Testing, Lessons Learnt, OWSC, Planning, Yield, Design Load Cases, Control, Fatigue, Modelling, Simulation, Structure, Survival, Ultimate Limit State, Data, Bathymetry, Foundations, Irregular Sea, Performance, Power, Reliability, Composites, Brake, Guidance, LCOE, Hydraulics, Fabrication