U.S.-based wave energy technology developer, Oscilla Power, has published a video of the installation of its 1:6 scale prototype of the 1 MW Triton wave energy converter off the U.S. East Coast , which took place in December last year.
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Oscilla Power, the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center (ASCC), and the Maine Maritime Academy deployed the scaled wave energy converter off the coast of Maine in real ocean conditions to determine how much load it can handle and if it can survive in the environment.
The Seattle-based company said that the tests would provide valuable information for refining the engineering design of its full-scale 1 MW Triton wave energy converter in 2024.
The primary objective is to demonstrate the device’s capability to withstand extreme weather conditions by utilizing its submerging ability. This feature is anticipated to allow the Triton to endure even the most severe wave events.
“Partnering with Oscilla Power and the University of Maine to test technology at scale is vital to our contributions for workforce development and Mariner training at MMA, ” said Keith Williamson from Maine Maritime Academy.
“MMA’s waterfront campus gives our state a unique advantage to test and evaluate ocean technologies that will define our future workforce.”
The company started the construction of the 1:6 scale version of the Triton wave energy converter in July 2023 . The device is a multi-mode point absorber that consists of a geometrically optimized surface float connected to a ring-shaped, vertically asymmetric heave plate.
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Triton’s surface float can extract energy from ocean waves in all six degrees of freedom allowing for increased energy capture across a wider range of ocean conditions, said Oscilla Power.