Survivable and Efficient OLeo-hydraulic assisted power Take Off (SEÒLTA)

Overview

The main goal of the SEÒLTA project was to produce a step change in the overall performance of Power Take Off (PTO) systems used for wave energy harvesting. This was achieved by characterising and assessing the feasibility of a novel hybrid PTO configuration that was directly inspired by those used in the automotive sector, and which have achieved a significant reduction on fuel consumption (in the range of 30-50%).

This novel PTO configuration consisted of a conventional electric generator mounted on a rotating shaft in parallel with an oleo-hydraulic system (i.e. variable displacement pump/motor and accumulators). Part of the incoming energy could then be converted directly into electricity while the exceeding capacity of the generator would be stored and provided later to the shaft where the generator is mounted.