Abstract
In 2015, Aquamarine Power Limited (APL), developer of the Oyster 1 and Oyster 800 wave energy converters, went into administration and their intellectual property (IP) was acquired by Wave Energy Scotland Limited (WES).
The IP contained a significant body of information from exploratory, small-scale tank tests completed during the company’s trading history. This information exists across multiple internal documents which are not suitable for publication.
This report presents the details of a range of Power Take-Off (PTO) dampers used for small-scale experimental WEC testing, considering design and sizing limitations, through to experiences from testing and trialling.
The dampers discussed are those investigated, designed and used by APL and their research partners Queens University Belfast (QUB) in the development of Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) devices. Ten different systems are presented spanning scales between 1:40 and 1:20, and a range of different damping mechanisms including: friction, hydraulic actuation, and electric/magnetic actuation. A detailed description and examples of the damping characteristics each system delivers are presented, along with its used historical use by APL/QUB. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are also discussed, and a critical evaluation against key assessment metrics is presented in an attempt to identify a preferred system for future WEC development research.
The learning presented here will be valuable for early stage developers, within the WES programme and beyond, who need to consider the design of smaller-scale physical models for performance and survivability testing.