The U.S.-based renewable energy company Atargis Energy has unveiled results from its latest wave tank tests, claiming a step forward in utility-scale wave energy generation.
According to the company, its 1:15-scale Cycloidal Wave Energy Converter (CycWEC) delivered shaft power generation of 150 W during recent trials. When scaled to full size, the system is estimated to achieve a power output of 1.96 MW, described by Atargis as “the highest power output ever recorded by a wave energy converter.”
The CycWEC system relies on lift-based hydrodynamics, a principle commonly used in wind turbines and propellers. Unlike point absorbers and attenuators, the CycWEC is designed as a wave termination device, aligned parallel to wave crests for improved energy capture. This setup enables increased power output with scaling, helping reduce the cost of energy, the company said.
“Hydrofoils using lift-based dynamics (like wind turbines) deliver highly efficient wave-to-shaft power conversion,” said Atargis.
The proprietary control algorithm allows the device to respond to each incoming wave in real time. “The real-time control algorithm maximizes the effectiveness of the hydrofoils to achieve wave power extraction of 95% or more,” the U.S.-based company said.
According to Atargis Energy, CycWEC can be submerged to avoid extreme surface loads, which typically force other WECs out of operation or demand overengineering.
“Many ocean trials of wave energy converters (WECs) have been prematurely ended during storms,” the company explained.
“The CycWEC on the other hand can be submerged further below the surface in a storm… which is why it experiences storm survival loads that are smaller than the operational loads.”
The CycWEC also benefits from higher rotational speeds, enabling smaller device sizes for comparable energy output. Unlike buoyancy- or drag-based devices that operate below fluid speed, hydrofoils can rotate faster than the surrounding water.
Additional logistical advantages include on-site maintenance, facilitated by a mooring and leg-jacking mechanism that allows the unit to be lifted completely out of the water. “This eliminates the need for diving or expensive lifting equipment,” the company added.