Tension Technology International (TTI) and its partners have won an award for a novel multi-material connector designed for marine renewables under the Innovate UK-funded STORM project.
TTI, together with collaboration partners Nylacast, Brunel University and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), received the ‘Rushlight Responsible Product or Service Award’ at this year’s Rushlight Awards held late in January.
The award was given in recognition of the work carried out under the Specialised Thimbles for Offshore Renewable Marine Energy (STORM) project whose aim was to design a new multi-material hybrid connector to aid the operation and lifespan of marine mooring systems.
To remind, the new connector – designed firstly for floating wave energy converters – was unveiled early in January 2018 at London’s Brunel University.
Developed by Brunel’s Experimental Techniques Centre and the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology, the material called Basaltium, forms the center of the new connector and is made from recycled aluminum – strengthened by tiny basalt fibers.
The core of the interconnector is coated in another innovative material called Oilon – a low friction plastic from Nylacast.
The Rushlight Awards aim to support and promote all the latest clean technologies, innovations, initiatives and deployment projects for businesses and other organizations throughout the UK, Ireland and internationally.