Quoceant are delighted to have won a contract from Wave Energy Scotland under their ‘novel wave energy converter’ competitive call. The £300k project will develop a new system able to greatly increase the displaced volume of a floating structure, while retaining the ability to automatically revert to a reduced volume on demand.
By automatically reverting to a smaller and more survivable form in larger seas this novel concept could enable a wave energy converter to operate with much greater power capture during most of the year than would otherwise be safe. The concept is analogous to wing flaps on aeroplanes that are retracted to give fast efficient cruising then extended to allow slow safe landings.
The end goal is a technology to solve the biggest fundamental conflict in wave energy design, offering the power capture of a machine too large to survive in big seas, with the survivability of a machine too small to be economic throughout the year.
Quoceant also envisage applications for the technology outside the field of marine energy and have applied for patent protection of the key concepts, including the innovative arrangement of inflatable structures with self-stowing mechanisms.