LOW CARBON INNOVATION


Making waves


Professor Ian Bryden, Head of the Institute for Energy Systems, explains how Edinburgh has been leading marine energy research for almost four decades


The University of Edinburgh has played a leading role in marine renewable energy research for nearly 40 years, with many significant achievements during this period attributable to research and teaching within the Institute for Energy Systems (IES).


With the recent award of the inaugural Saltire Prize Medal to Professor Stephen Salter, and a new current/wave basin testing facility being built at Edinburgh, the University’s pivotal role in marine renewable energy research looks like continuing as this area becomes more vital to the supply of green energy in the future. In the early 1970s, Professor Salter and his Wave Power Group created the “Edinburgh’s Duck” to generate electricity from the waves. Subsequent research has focused


on improved wave devices, high- efficiency hydraulic transmission and control and a new generation of test tanks, including the University’s existing curved wave tank facility. These areas of research led to significant energy-related commercial start-up activity from the School of Engineering:


• Edinburgh Designs Ltd – world-leading wave-making tank designers and builders, whose international clients include the US military and Disney World


energy, as well as the automotive and industrial machinery sectors. The company was recently acquired by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd


28m


The new All-Waters Combined Current and Wave Test Facility will be capable of simulating full scale seas with 28m waves and currents of up to 6m per second.


• Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd – developed Digital Displacement® hydraulic power technology, which has applications in renewable


40-YEAR TIMELINE FOR MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH


22


1974 Professor Stephen Salter and his


Wave Power Group within the University develop the “Edinburgh’s Duck” wave energy converter –a one of the world’s first wave energy devices.


1976 The University establishes the first


multi-directional mixed wave tank to be built specifically for wave energy research.


1988


Start-up of Edinburgh Designs Ltd, which has gone on to become a


• Pelamis Wave Power Ltd – formed by graduate Richard Yemm (as Ocean Power Delivery) to develop the Pelamis wave energy converter – the world’s first commercial-scale machine to generate electricity to the grid from offshore wave energy, and the first to be used commercially.


The Institute continues to push the understanding of marine energy research through its unique testing facilities, including the programmable controlled curved wave tank. The Institute has led all the


world leader in wave-making and testing tank design.


1994 Professor Salter and Win Rampen


founded Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd to develop the next generation of hydraulic machine using Digital Displacement® technology.


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