12-Month Test of Energy Generator Using Artificial Blowhole Formation Exceeds Expectations in Tasmania

A sea platform developed by Wave Swell Energy has just completed its initial 12-month test. The company reports showcase excellent results from the year-long trial.

Wave Swell Energy's Uniwave200

Wave Swell Energy's Univwave200 is a floating platform that uses an artificial blowhole to create air pressure changes driving a turbine and feeding energy back to the shoreline. It can be towed to any coastal location and is connected to the local energy grid.

The Uniwave200 is designed so that wave swells force seawater into specially designed concrete chambers, pressuring the air in each chamber and forcing it through outlet valves. As the water recedes, it generates a vacuum that sucks air in through the turbines located at the top of the platform generating electricity that is then fed into the grid via cable.

This process results in energy drawn from an entire column of water entering its chambers. According to the team behind the novel device, the process makes it more efficient than wave energy devices that only harvest energy from the sea floor or the water surface.

The key innovation behind the Uniwave200 is its one-way generation, while conventional devices harvest energy using bi-directional turbines that require the ability to reverse blade pitch and redirect airflow. WSE explains that its design allows cheaper and more simplistic turbines to last longer since not much salt water gets splashed through when big waves hit, reports NewAtlas. All the platform's devices are above the waterline, which should extend its service life and make it harmless to marine life on the coastline.

Interestingly, WSE's design also makes it easy to incorporate into seawalls and breakwaters, where it can take coastal erosion projects and turn them into a clean and sustainable energy source.

Year-Long Tests Proves the Sustainability and Durability of WSE's Uniwave200

Last year, WSE installed the 200-kW test platform off King Island, Tasmania, facing the rough seas of Bass Strait, separating the island strait of Tasmania from Australia. The Uniwave200 has been contributing sustainable green energy to the island's microgrid for a full year. The team made a few live tweaks to the platform's design during the operation, improving the platform's performance beyond the original expectations.

Paul Geason, the CEO of Wave Swell Energy, says that the team set out to prove that the energy converter technology developed by the company could supply electricity to a grid in different wave conditions. After the year-long trial, they have done just that.

He adds that a key achievement for the team has been delivering real-world results in Tasmanian waters complimenting the AMC test modeling. Stating that in some instances, the performance of the Uniwave200 has exceeded the expectations due to lessons learned through the project, technological improvements, and several refinements made over the course of the year.

Geason reports that the team achieved a conversion rate from wave to electricity at an average of 45 to 50% in different wave conditions. A vast improvement on past devices showcases how wave power should sit alongside other clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

Check out more news and information on Energy in Science Times.