Mid-stage development of the CCell Wave Energy Converter

98e59746-bc0c-4560-ac08-24cc0d15ac4e

Closed

EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC

£2,863,585

July 5, 2015

July 5, 2018

Recent large-scale laboratory tests of the curved Mark 1 CCell paddle and its control system, conducted with TSB funding
#131499, have demonstrated the predicted four-fold increase in performance to cost ratio compared to other wave energy
devices. Preliminary sea trials of components are ongoing and the technology is now ready for mid-stage development to
build a complete system. This project takes lessons learned from Mark 1 system development and incorporates them into a
Mark 2 Wave Energy Converter (WEC) technology package based on the CCell paddle, its control and its foundation
system.
The project aims to demonstrate cost-effective performance of an array of CCell paddles. This will be achieved through
optimisation of the shape of the curved paddle and Power Take Off (PTO) for a wide range of sea conditions. Intelligent
proactive control algorithms will be developed to maximise power capture in the highly variable conditions that operating
devices will experience. Numerical tools developed and validated as part of the preceeding project will be extended to
study interactions between arrays of CCell paddles. Co-operative PTO control strategies will be developed to optimise
array performance, matching demanded power with generated power and balancing against device loading and
degradation. Prototype systems will be constructed and tested both in laboratory conditions and at sea to validate
concepts.
Successful completion of the project will bring CCell and associated technology to the pre-commercial stage. Economic
viability will be established and the barriers preventing the uptake of competitor technology will be removed.

Potential Impact:
National perspective:
The project objectives directly address all three aspects of the energy trilemma:
1) Reducing emissions: The project resides within the Renewable Energy technology challenge area, contributing to the
2020 and 2050 UK emissions targets.
2) Improving security of supply: Wave-energy is a reliable, predictable renewable source with high energy density. The
World Energy Council estimates that wave generated power could deliver 2,000 TWh/year, but this will not happen until the
technology achieves large reductions in £/W. Competitors are deploying ever stronger and larger units in an attempt to
improve the £/W ratio through scale. Even if successful this limits the applicable sites/markets. CCell improves the £/W
ratio through novel design and will be applicable to a wider range of sites/scales. With 15% of the 2020 estimated 85GW
UK requirement to be delivered by renewable sources, this project tackles the security of supply issue.
3) Reducing cost: Research to date suggests our patented curved paddle design will deliver a substantial step change in
performance, delivering twice the power for half the cost of alternative Wave Energy Converters. Secondary cost benefits
include ease of manufacture, installation and an extended structural life. CCell has the potential to allow even small scale
(20-60kW) units to be competitive with conventional energy sources. A pre-commercial system will be delivered by 2018.
International perspective:
Economic: CCell delivers a four-fold improvement in £/W, allowing a small unit to be installed at a price of £2.5/W with an
achievable OPEX cost below £50/MWh. CCell is therefore one of only a few concepts that could make wave energy
economically viable within developed nations. In developing nations access to electricity and water are both prerequisites
to economic growth, and CCell will help to reduce GDP expenditure on these essentials. Currently 80% of the electricity
generated in Pacific and Caribbean countries is sourced from diesel generation, which costs many islands 10% - 30% of
their GDP (~£400M pa), and they are vulnerable to rising fuel costs and global warming. This project addresses a need to
replace remote diesel generation with renewable energy, and a suitable market to target initially is the provision of power
for sea water desalination plants that use reverse osmosis (RO). The demand for freshwater already outstrips supply and
the UN forecast the demand for freshwater will grow by 25% by 2030. Export sales within 4 years will boost UK
manufacturing and the supply chain for RO, hydraulic and electrical generation equipment.
Social: The provision of reliable and independent electricity generation in developing nations is a prerequisite to
improvements in quality of life. By implementing renewable energy generation, there are educational and health benefits to
be realised as well as security of supply, such as the transfer of safe engineering practices and the resultant reduction in
carbon emissions. In addition, the project supports and promotes renewables research at UoB and future undergraduate
and PhD research across the UK
Environmental: We estimate the manufacture and installation of a 20kW CCell WEC with RO unit will be create <10 Tonnes
of CO2, with no CO2 emissions produced during operation. This compares to 62 Tonnes of CO2 per year generated by the
equivalent power diesel generator (excluding engine manufacture).
Commercial Private Sector:
The results of the research will provide developers and regulators with access to high quality validation data against which
they can compare their own results. The research will result in more efficient designs and reduced development time. It will
accelerate the large scale deployment of wave energy devices and the expansion of the emerging wave energy sector, providing employment and associated economic benefits for technology and design code developers and the supply chain.