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15 April 2004 - Edinburgh-based Ocean Power Delivery (OPD) said that the first wave-generated electricity was produced on April 1 by its Pelamis prototype marine energy devise in sea trials in the North Sea.
The Pelamis prototype returned last week from sea trials designed to thoroughly test all machine systems prior to deployment at the European Marine Energy Centre, Orkney.
The machine was towed to the test location in the North Sea behind the Far Scout anchor handler. Following this the mooring system was deployed and the machine tested in a variety of wave conditions. The Far Scout has full Dynamic Positioning (DP) system, allowing it stay precisely on location with the machine slack moored behind it to properly simulate operating conditions. An 11kV diesel generator, transformer and loadbank set was included in the equipment spread to allow the Pelamis to generate into a realistic load.
"The tests were a resounding success," reported OPD. During the trials a couple of minor issues were identified with the machine systems, these are currently being addressed before deployment in Orkney next month.
Building on technology developed for the offshore industry, the Pelamis has a similar output to a modern wind turbine. Pelamis is a 120 metre-long, semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure oil through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. The first full-scale pre-production prototype is currently being built and will be tested at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney later this year.
"We are working with a couple of the large renewable players with a view to the development and deployment of Pelamis in Scotland," said Ocean Power Delivery's founder and managing director, Dr. Richard Yemm. "Portugal is also a target market as a fixed rate for electricity derived from wave energy is available."
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