MegaRoller project has reached a milestone by completing an advanced custom structure interaction Wave Energy Converter (WEC) model.
The MegaRoller project is an EU-funded research program over the period 2018-2021. The project will develop and demonstrate a 1 MW power take-off (PTO) for wave energy converters.
The PTO is developed in conjunction with oscillating wave surge converters (OWSCs), a class of wave power technology that uses bottom-hinged plates oscillating in pitch following the surge movement of the water particles in the nearshore zone.
The project will generate extensive know-how in the area of PTO design and control systems, with the aim to decrease the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of next generation OWSC devices.
The Megaroller project partners include K2 Management, AW-Energy, ABB Finland, WavEC Offshore Renewables, HYDROLL, HYDMAN, SINTEF, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, University of Bergen and Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg.
“We use a mathematical representation of the interaction between the structure and the waves to estimate the loads experienced in a number of situations. The results will be used to design a sound and durable power system,” said Pauline Laporte Weywada , senior consultant at K2 Management.
“The mathematical model uses innovative features such as a structural dynamics module to investigate structural deformations and account for the directional spread. The development of such novel functionalities will continue throughout the MegaRoller project and are expected to provide guidance for modeling practices in the wave energy sector, ” she added.
This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.