CorPower completes wave energy test rig
Published by Bella Weetch,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
CorPower has constructed one of the world’s largest wave energy test rigs following an intense two-year project. The 45 t moving mass system, installed at CorPower’s Stockholm base in Sweden, is capable of simulating ocean wave conditions anywhere in the world. The design, build and accreditation has been supported by key supplier ABB and accrediting body DNV.
Measuring 40 m in length and 9 m in width, the system will play a fundamental role supporting CorPower’s flagship HiWave-5 demonstration project, involving the deployment of the firm’s first full-scale WEC (Wave Energy Converter) off the coast of Portugal, later in 2021.
For the last decade CorPower has been steadily undergoing a rigorous five-stage product development and verification process, which initially started with small scale tests in Portugal and France. It later progressed to a half-scale WEC prototype, which also underwent dry rig testing prior to sea trials in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, in partnership with utility firm Iberdrola.
CorPower’s commercial scale WEC – 9 m in diameter with a 300 kW power rating – will spend around four months on the test rig, which can deliver 7.2 MW peaks and generate 80.6 kNm torque, with 5 m/s maximum speed.
The full consortium of partners supporting the test rig project include ABB (drive train and control system), Katsa Oy (gearbox) Wittenstein (gear rack), Särkinen industries (large mechanical parts), Vallourec (pneumatic cylinder), Blue Future (assembly) and Weforma (dampers).
Additional partners providing third-party approval include DNV (pressure equipment), Rejlers (electrical installation and machine safety) and KIWA.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/other-renewables/11082021/corpower-completes-wave-energy-test-rig/
You might also like
Winds of change
In our recent Spring issue of Energy Global, Jon Salazar, CEO, Gazelle Wind Power, UAE, examines how collaboration across industries can enable the growth of floating offshore wind.