MECmate

Overview

Nova Innovation’s MECmate subsea electrical connector is a quick, robust and cost-effective wet-mate connection solution, specifically designed for marine energy converters (MECs).

The MECMate design offers:

• Generous misalignment tolerances,
• Mechanical robustness for enhanced survivability,
• Minimal sealed surfaces,
• Quick, simple connection and disconnection,
• Specifically designed and priced for the marine renewable energy market.

MECmate builds on Nova’s field-proven, dry-mate subsea electrical connector, the NOVA-CAN, which is successfully installed and operating in all three turbines in Nova’s Shetland Tidal Array.

The product is designed to meet the demanding requirement of early MEC prototype testing, where operational loads are uncertain, and multiple connection and disconnection operations will be required. As the industry matures, future refinement will allow the product to evolve to meet the needs of commercial devices.

The vision is to deliver a MEC technology-agnostic, step-change product that provides a robust, reliable and cost-effective solution for electrical connection of marine energy devices. The product will also have wider application to industries such as offshore wind, oil & gas and aquaculture.

In Stage 1 of this project we tested the feasibility of the conceptual design and processes through thorough qualitative and initial quantitative analysis.

Nova Innovation’s MECmate subsea electrical connector is a robust and cost-effective, hybrid, wet-mate quick connection solution, specifically designed for marine energy converters (MECs) by one of the world’s leading marine energy companies. It builds on Nova’s field-proven dry-mate subsea electrical connector, the NovaCan.

The MECmate system utilises a single pin, multi-pass electrical connection transferring both high power and high bandwidth communications; a design that offers significant advantages over traditional solutions:

• Market leading generous misalignment tolerances
• Significant mechanical robustness for enhanced survivability
• Improved reliability through minimal sealed surfaces with multiple redundant seals
• Self-capping for maximum protection when unmated
• Quick, simple connection and disconnection
• Specifically designed to be cost-effective for the marine renewable energy market.

In Stage 2 of this project the MECmate design was refined against three Test Cases, covering seabed mounted and floating wave devices and a seabed mounted tidal device.

MECmate will deliver a WEC technology and mooring-agnostic product that provides a robust, reliable and cost-effective solution for electrical connection of marine energy devices. The product will also have wider application to industries such as offshore wind, oil & gas and aquaculture. The product is designed to meet the demanding requirement of early MEC prototype testing, and is highly scalable to remain appropriate as the industries needs evolve to commercial devices at MW and array scales.