French tidal energy developer EEL Energy and German-based CFD solutions provider DHCAE Tools have scooped a joint finalist nomination for the Franco-German Economy Awards 2017.
The companies are running in the Environment, Climate and Energy category for an award which recognizes the cooperation between German and French enterprises.
EEL Energy is developing a tidal energy device based on an undulating membrane, and with the help of DHCAE Tools, the company has managed to optimize and improve the design, materials and performance of the prototype, according to the awards organizer, the Franco-German Chamber of Commerce.
“In our long-standing partnership with EEL Energy, we integrate our special know-how in the CFD/FSI simulations into the development and performance optimization of the membranes for a clean energy generation from sea currents,” said DHCAE Tools.
EEL tidal energy converter consists of a membrane that optimizes energy transfer by coupling fluid flow with an undulating structure. The membrane undulates under moving fluid pressure, and this periodic motion is transformed into electricity by an electromechanical system.
The energy is converted along the whole length of the rubber membrane surface.
To remind, in June 2017 EEL Energy said it will test its scaled tidal energy prototype off the coast of Brest in France to obtain information that will be fed into the design of the full-scale device.
The winners of Franco-German Economy Awards 2017, out of 8 finalists competing in 4 categories, will be unveiled in Paris on December 11, 2017.