A scalable multi-body wave energy converter for offshore aquaculture

David Lande-Sudall, Associate Professor at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), will present his work on a scalable multi-body wave energy converter for offshore aquaculture.

Abstract

Wave energy has been developed since the 1970s, but unlike wind and solar energy which have seen significant cost reductions over the past 10 years, wave energy has lagged stubbornly behind. However, a new report estimates that wave energy could yet provide at least 15% of the UK’s electricity demand by 2050. Such an ambitious target can only be achieved by appropriate financial support mechanisms and for devices which can demonstrate survivability, broadband power capture and which have extensive experience operating in reduced-scale sea trials.

Norway also has an excellent wave resource, however against a backdrop of cheap hydropower, the interest in wave energy has also waned. An alternative market may nevertheless exist. The aquaculture industry is predominantly powered by expensive and carbon-intensive diesel generators. With a need to decarbonize the industry and an interest to move into offshore waters, offshore aquaculture may provide an ideal niche learning-opportunity through which to develop wave energy.

Following a brief overview of the status of wave energy, this presentation will introduce recent work modeling one promising device, known as M4. M4 utilizes multiple interacting bodies to capture power from multiple modes of response, and as a scalable system, it can be tailored to the resource.

A case-study coupling M4 to a floating offshore fish farm will be presented, with levelised cost of energy found to be comparable with offshore wind.

Webinar speaker

Dr David Lande-Sudall is an Associate Professor at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), Bergen. His research is focused on ocean renewable energy devices and particularly experimental hydrodynamic testing within HVL’s MarinLab towing tank facility.

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