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Lockheed Martin and Ocean Power Technologies Developing Utility-Scale Wave Power System
October 13, 2009
| Individual PowerBuoy and undersea substation. Source: OPT. Click to enlarge. |
Lockheed Martin and Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) have signed a commercial engineering services agreement to develop OPT’s wave energy systems for use in future utility-scale power generation projects.
Under the agreement, Lockheed Martin will provide its expertise in systems integration, lean manufacturing, and test and optimization analysis to enhance OPT’s innovative PowerBuoy wave power generation technology to utility-scale. This will allow the two companies to pursue future utility-scale power generation projects in North America. The companies agreed to collaborate on such projects in a letter of intent signed in January 2009.
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DOE Selects Laboratory-led Projects for up to $11M to Support Development of Advanced Water Power Technologies
August 29, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected national laboratory-led projects for up to $11 million this year, as well as future years, subject to annual appropriations, under DOE’s competitive laboratory solicitation for the development of Advanced Water Power Technologies. (Earlier post.) These projects are intended to advance the science needed to accelerate the commercial viability, market acceptance, and environmental performance for both new marine and hydrokinetic technologies as well as technologies and methods to improve on the performance of conventional hydropower facilities.
Awards were made in four topic areas—two for each respective technology, marine and hydrokinetics and conventional hydropower:
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Oyster Wave Power Machine Generates Electricity Onshore; Sea Trials Begin This Autumn
August 01, 2009
| The Oyster concept for transforming wave power to onshore electricity. Click to enlarge. |
A new type of wave power machine—Oyster—is being installed on the seabed off the Atlantic shores of the Orkney Islands for trials that begin this autumn. In contrast to many other wave power devices, Oyster uses hydraulic technology to transfer wave power to shore, where it is then converted into electricity.
Oyster is fitted with an 18m-wide oscillator based on fundamental research at Queen’s University Belfast led by Professor Trevor Whittaker. The oscillator is fitted with pistons and, when activated by wave action, pumps high-pressure water through a sub-sea pipeline to the shore. Onshore, conventional hydroelectric generators convert this high-pressure water into electrical energy.
