US-based wave energy developer Atmocean is getting ready to conduct final round of wave tank testing of its wave energy system.
The testing will be carried out at Texas A&M University on June 27-28, 2016, according to Atmocean.
Atmocean’s team is working towards finalizing 1:8 scale wave energy system that is able to withstand strong currents and waves as experienced in 2015 Peru deployment.
To remind, Atmocean deployed two full size component systems off the southern coast of Peru last year.
These demonstrations have allowed Atmocean to showcase its wave energy technology to local stakeholders in municipal water, agriculture, and mining, with increased interest noted both in Peru and Chile.
Atmocean’s wave energy system operates by capturing the rising and falling motion of ocean waves to drive a piston in a cylinder which pressurizes the seawater.
By connecting several seawater pumps together as an array, the pressurized seawater can be sent to the onshore converters, where it’s run into a reverse osmosis (RO) system to desalinate the water, or through a Pelton water wheel to generate renewable electricity.
The Texas testing will set the stage for the deployment of final system demonstration in Ilo Peru, scheduled to take place at the end of 2016, bringing the Atmocean system to a technology readiness level of 7 – system prototype demonstration in an operational environment – at which point Atmocean will be able to build and deploy a complete pilot project in 2017, the company informed.