Oceanflow Energy, a UK-based tidal energy developer, has completed the winter trials of their Evopod floating tidal energy device.
The device was deployed in Sanda Sound, South Kintyre, UK from August 7, 2014. The aim of the trials was to demonstrate Evopod’s low motions and survivability characteristics in the moderate flows of 4 to 5 knots.
The Evopod E35 unit in Sanda Sound is equipped with a 35 kW generator driven by a 4.5 m diameter turbine. The unit is expected to export electricity into the grid later in 2015 via an umbilical and subsea cable connection, according to Oceanflow Energy.
The umbilical and seabed power cable are also used to transmit data to the company’s onshore control and monitoring facility.
Evopod is a semi-submerged, floating, tethered tidal energy capture device that uses a mooring system which allows the free floating device to maintain heading into the tidal stream.
The device was deployed during the “weather bomb” storm in December which combined spring tides with record breaking wind speeds and wave heights.
Take a look at the video of Evopod floating tidal device in action during the storm.
Image: Oceanflow Energy