Prototype Wave Energy Device Passes Grid-Connected Pilot Test

coondoggie writes: A prototype wave energy device advanced with backing from the Energy Department and U.S. Navy has passed its first grid-connected open-sea pilot testing. According to the DOE, the device, called Azura, was recently launched and installed in a 30-meter test berth at the Navy's Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. This pilot testing is now giving U.S. researchers the opportunity to evaluate the long-term performance of the nation’s first grid-connected 20-kilowatt wave energy converter (WEC) device to be independently tested by a third party—the University of Hawaii—in the open ocean, the DOE said.

Comments

Designed and built in New Zealand; biased story!

[RandomAdam]

Built by EHL in New Plymouth, NZ. http://www.ehltd.co.nz/np/

Northwest provided funding and some technical knowledge. However this story vastly overstates their contribution to the project. There is no mention of Callaghan Innovations https://www.callaghaninnovatio... or EHL. EHL engineers went to Hawaii to install and commission the generator and made sure it was working.

This is a New Zealand lead innovation; unfortunately the NZ government in their infinite wisdom pulled funding when the tech was about 80% proven. Thus forcing Callaghan to look elsewhere for funding.

There was also no mention that this is the second deployment of the device; it has already spent a year in the water and come back in for upgrades before this deployment in Hawaii. The upgrades were mainly around hydraulics and electrical systems to improve the consistency of the device and increase the power output.

The next gen device is currently in development with improvements based on what has been learned from the previous deployment and this current deployment; it has been in the water in Hawaii for about six weeks now.