Wello, a Finnish wave energy player, has developed the Penguin wave energy device that produces power by riding the waves.
Wello has based their wave energy technology by re-purposing existing technologies from wind energy sector.
Wello’s Penguin converts waves to electricity directly with continuous rotational movement.
Its patented key invention is to convert wave movement to gyration, which is then amplified.
Asymmetric shape of the floating device is used to capture the movement to a spinning rotator inside the device.
Power is directly led from the rotator to the generator using the same shaft – without hydraulics, joints or gears – thus eliminating conversion losses, according to Wello.
All parts of the device are sealed inside the floating hull.
Wello has built a full scale 1 MW commercial wave energy device that has been undergoing tests at EMEC in Orkney, Scotland, since 2011.
Following the one year extension of the testing programme contract with EMEC, Wello received €17 mln from the Horizon 2020 programme to advance its wave energy converter in electricity-grid connected ocean conditions.
The research project will be coordinated by Fortum, and conducted at WaveHub wave research center.
Take a look at the video of Wello’s Penguin WEC deployment at Billia Croo in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.
Images/Source: Wello Oy