DESC0025127

Wave energy capture is challenging because of the harsh environment and difficult maintenance access. Current technologies are expensive and maintenance intensive because they rely on mechanical components such as bearings to resist massive forces, shafts subject to heavy loads, seals subject to endless wear, and end stops to limit travel. All these components must be overdesigned to withstand storm forces. Many current technologies are restricted as to where they can be deployed because they tug on the seabed. Applicant is developing a device that avoids all these problems and thereby promises substantially lower costs. This device uses an innovative Power Take-Off, in which water inside the device provides a reactive mass to pitching motion. This unique concept, with minimal mechanical components, has been extensively modeled and promises high capture efficiency and robust, low maintenance operation, especially when used for pumping seawater. Applicant will finalize design work, then build a prototype Pitching Inertial Pump wave energy converter. In Phase 1 the device design will be optimized and finalized by integrating hydrodynamic and 3D modeling. In Phase 2, the prototype will be fabricated, then first tested on a large amplitude motion platform. Applicant will then open-water test the prototype at a site in Clallam Bay, WA, over a period of one year, with continuous data collection to validate the design. This test will demonstrate the power capture capability, operability, and survivability of this unique technology. Target applications include seawater desalination, prevention of coastal erosion, providing power to isolated communities, seawater mining and marine carbon capture and sequestration. In the project, Applicant will provide internships to MSI students, contributing to the development of the marine energy workforce. Capturing wave energy is challenging because of the harsh ocean environment. IProTech will build and test an innovative wave energy capture device that has no mechanical components, is virtually maintenance free and can be used for seawater desalination, prevention of coastal erosion, providing power to isolated communities, seawater mining as well as marine carbon capture and sequestration.