Orion Energy Centre (OEC) has recently completed a project for one of its first commercial customers, Resolute Marine Energy, Inc. (RME), a US-based wave technology developer with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.
OECs facilities and expertise will be used to carry out scale model wave tank testing on RMEs new submerged flap wave energy converter, a device that has been specifically designed to operate in near shore waves as opposed to in the deep sea. Motion, load and pressure measurement tests will be carried out in the ‘extreme sea’ states that can be simulated by the wave tank.
Orion Energy Centre’s Dr Ken Tease said: “This is a fascinating time for OEC and for the marine energy sector. Wave Energy is really starting to take off in Scotland but someone has yet to come up with a very effective, internationally scalable solution. The first person to do that will have made a major break-though and it’s exciting to think that, with the expertise and facilities we have here at the Centre, we could be a part of the revelation.”
Since 2007 RME has been developing wave energy converters (WECs) that generate clean power from ocean waves. RME CEO, Bill Staby , said: “ The experienced team at OEC responded quickly to our needs and provided us with valuable advice and support during our three-week test run. The data we have collected will be extremely useful as we continue to improve the design of our wave energy converter.”
The OEC’s wave test facilities were acquired from Voith Hydro in 2013. Dr Tobias Keitel, Head of Ocean at Voith , said; “We are very pleased to see Orion Energy Centre continue to build on the expertise and capability developed by Voith Hydro, providing a state-of-the-art wave tank test facility for the marine industry.”
OEC, part of the International recruitment agency Orion Group, has launched services in Inverness. OEC, a pioneering wave tank facility based in the city’s Longman area, offers specialist research and development facilities in addition to expert consultancy for the Marine Renewable Sector.