EuropeWave
EuropeWave is a Horizon2020 funded programme, delivered by Ente Vasco de la Energía and WES, to develop and deploy multiple pre-commercial WEC systems in Scotland and the Basque region.
Lead contractor
CETO Wave Energy Ireland Ltd
Sub-contractor(s)
DNV UK Ltd
Fundación Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de Cantabria
Julia F. Chozas
Yavin Four Consultants
Overview
The ACHIEVE Project aims to deliver a design of the CETO wave energy converter (WEC) which optimises performance, survivability and cost, while leveraging learnings from prior design and deployments. The system will provide step change improvements by integrating new innovative technologies developed through collaboration with experienced partners.
The CETO buoy itself is fully submerged and is connected to the seabed by taught mooring tethers. The buoy is excited by the passing waves, with the linear motion of the taught lines converted into rotational motion via a new fully electric rotary Power Take Off (PTO). This operates like a futuristic winch, resisting the motion of the buoy when necessary and in doing so, generates clean, renewable electricity at higher efficiencies than ever before.
Key attractive features of prior deployments are retained, including the fact it is a submerged system that minimises visual impact and offers inherent protection from breaking waves and extreme storms. However, CETO now has 3 taught connections back to the seabed and is able to capture energy from all primary degrees of freedom. Further to this, advanced control optimises the energy captured from every wave and has been demonstrated in scaled physical model testing to be able to modify CETO’s position and angle in the water column for both enhanced energy capture and survivability. These new features, combined with the new PTO system, enable this CETO system to be able to capture nearly twice as much energy as the previously deployed design.
Phase 1
July 2022
The focus was on two key activities – advancing the concept design and completing a tank testing campaign that delivered data to validate performance modelling. The concept design was advanced, with a focus on principles of operation and defining the system architecture. Strategies to enhance survivability were also completed. The PTO, electrical and mooring systems were defined and outlined conceptually. A thorough tank testing campaign, subject to an independent third party review, was completed to fully characterise the system. decay tests, operation and survival conditions, and different types of control were evaluated to greatly advance understanding of the system behaviour. The data captured was then used to validate the outputs of the linear time-domain and CFD models that had been developed during Phase 1.Phase 2
June 2023
The project analysed and tested key assumptions from the conceptual design phase to significantly advance the readiness and understanding ahead of a deployment of the CETO technology at either of the Phase 3 test sites. Key achievements included a front end engineering design (FEED) which used physical and numerical modelling to support design activity to establish the WEC’s performance and survival characteristics, and completion of two design reviews were completed with the EuropeWave team. The wave tank testing completed took the learning from Phase 1 and was able to demonstrate the control and survival approaches across a wider breadth of conditions and scenarios. The outputs of this tank testing validated the potential for energy capture improvements stated at entry into Phase 1. Additional physical testing was completed on components which will comprise the PTO system to gain a greater understanding of their fatigue life and dynamic behaviour. Storyboards and plans for the installation and maintenance of the system were refined with approaches that avoided diving and large vessels, and an independent review provided confidence that these methodologies are feasible and efficient at either of the EMEC of BiMEP sites. The commercial case was advanced through refined techno-economic modelling and development of a business case.Where to next?
Explore our other programmes, or find out more about how we operate.
About Wave Energy Scotland
Wave Energy Scotland was created by request of the Scottish Government. Discover our purpose, our procurement model and more about our team.