Development
Limited
Development Strategy
The company plans to demonstrate both the economic feasibility of wave energy harvesting — something no one has yet accomplished — and the superiority of its own technology, including its benign environmental effects. Demonstration means building a prototype that works, that generates power cleanly and efficiently and that survives bad weather. After doing this, we plan to improve the present Waveberg technology thus enabling us to extend patent protection worldwide. The technical basis for such a new patent is already available; we are waiting to file to extend the patent life.
Ocean engineering is a well-established discipline and there are many competent practitioners who can design everything from racing yachts to offshore oil platforms. Computer models based on real waves can generate accurate estimates of power output for most locations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Data Buoy Center (NOAA NDBC) maintains a set of data buoys that record wave heights and timing and makes the data freely available.
Wave energy expressed as average annual energy flux (kW) per meter of coastline.
The National Research Council Institute for Ocean Technology (FKA: Institute of Marine Dynamics) tested large-scale Waveberg models in 1990 and 1991. (See 1991 - Wave tank testing: National Research Council Canada Institute for Ocean Technology, St. John's, Newfoundland, 40 second QuickTime video (2.8 MB)) The reports on the performance and projected power output from these tank tests form the best outside evaluation of the technology to date. The Institute has expanded its capabilities and is prepared to perform further tank tests on the latest large-scale model, as well as computer simulations and a strength-of-materials analysis. These tests will also be used to verify the planned improvements and file a new patent, which will be prosecuted worldwide.
John Berg built a 1:35 working scale model recently, which is available for take off drawings and further testing. This model incorporates the latest advancements, which are protected by the latest patent. Additional advances have already incorporated in the model. The model was tested in the wave tank at the Hydraulics and Marine Research Centre, University College Cork, Ireland. Performance and projected power output from these tank tests form the best evaluation of the technology to date. The final report from the tests in 2009 is available to interested parties.
Waveberg Development has engaged InfraComp (Infrastructure Composites International), a composite engineering company, to estimate costs of production. Dr. Geza Nagy performed a detailed Finite Element Analysis on the latest design, which then led to a set of specifications and cost estimates for Wavebergs of several sizes. The design and costing report are available to interested parties.
The final steps before commercialization are the construction and testing of a series of models at 1:12, 1:4 and full scale. Each model will carry an instrument package to record performance variables such as materials stresses, output pressure and flow. The prototypes will be moored in the sea and monitored remotely; survival will be tested by exposure to storms. The final step is a full-size 50 meter prototype; we will deploy this prototype first at EMEC, the European Marine Energy Centre in the Orkney Islands, Scotland and then send it on a tour of potential project sites, ending up in Korea.
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