Marine Technology Reporter Blogs - generator

Atmocean’s wave energy system is unique in that each array of fifteen seawater pumps located up to 2 miles offshore produces pressurized water transmitted in a seafloor hose to the onshore turbine operating a generator. By using and underwater compressed air energy storage system a dramatic reductions in the net cost and availability of grid-scale energy storage is reached. Storing air at hydrostatic pressure, in equilibrium with the surrounding water allows the use of thin-walled storage vessels, and simpler, more reliable compressors. A simple, proprietary reversible air compressor runs at near-constant temperature and the heat of compression is stored in water and is restored during expansion of the air.

Water covers 71% of our world and holds a vast potential for clean renewable energy production. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers estimated in a 2010 report of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, that there is an estimated potential of 3.7 terawatts of wave energy, almost double that of current world electrical consumption, yet although it may never be possible to harvest all this energy, very little of it has been harvested up to now. Waves are mainly created by winds blowing across the oceans. Waves are distinct from daily tidal surges created by the gravitational effects of the moon as the earth spins on its axis.

Albatern is a company specialized in designing and assembling wave energy generators to produce electricity from the energy industry.WaveNET is AlbaTERN’s wave energy array system. Constructed from multiple SQUID modules, the array can be readily adapted to suit the specifications of the site and the customer’s power requirements. A prototype array comprising 6 modules with a rated capacity of 45kW has been built. Larger arrays (250kW +) can be assembled at the current scale. The unique WaveNET wave energy conversion system is based around a series of smaller interconnected units called Squids. This approach reduces the operational challenges of handling and deploying very large structures while allowing the device to be tailored to the requirements of a particular site.