LOW CARBON INNOVATION
Stephen Salter with “Edinburgh’s Duck” in Curved Wave Tank Facility
PRESTIGIOUS PRIZE FOR WAVE POWER PIONEER
CONTINUED >
robustly, and repeatedly, simulating any desired combination of current and wave conditions around all of the UK and the majority of key European coastlines.
The desired set of wave and tidal conditions for testing might require a wait of months or years to observe in the sea. This facility will allow developers to replicate these conditions in a controlled environment, and in a few hours, for accurate, repeatable and reliable testing of 1/40th to 1/10th scale wave and tidal-powered test devices. Successful design development and testing of medium-scale model marine energy generating devices using this quality of facility,
would mitigate the risk or expense ultimately associated with open sea testing.
This creates a simple gateway to the large investment necessary to build open-sea or sheltered-waters- scale “mini-prototypes” to test at, for example, quarter or half-scale in the sea.
Insurers, as well as financial investors, will also be interested in the results – and this facility, along with existing facilities at the University and its UKCMER partners, will provide the essential capability and resource to achieve such ambitious marine energy generation targets by the end of this decade. As Professor Salter states: “Make all your mistakes at small scale and on dry land.”
Above: SeaGen tidal energy converter in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland.
© Marine Current Turbines Ltd
In March 2011, Professor Emeritus Stephen Salter MBE, a world- leading pioneer of wave power technologies, was awarded the inaugural Saltire Prize Medal by First Minister Alex Salmond MSP, in recognition of his key role in the development of marine energy. Professor Salter established his reputation in the marine energy sector by designing the “Edinburgh’s Duck” wave power device with his team at the University of Edinburgh in the 1970s. The Edinburgh’s Duck was one of the world’s first wave energy devices and is still regarded as one of the most efficient. Professor Salter continues to work in the Institute for Energy Systems at the School of Engineering and is also a specialist technical adviser to Aquamarine Power Limited, creators of the wave energy Oyster device and whose head office is based in Edinburgh.
Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland, who chaired the judging panel, said: “There can be few scientists or engineers as inspiring as Stephen Salter. He has always pushed the boundaries of what is possible and every problem is a new challenge for him.”
2007 The Institute takes a lead role
in the European FP7 EQUIMAR project to find ways of evaluating environmental credentials of tidal and wave energy devices as a condition of receiving government support.
2009 The Institute awarded industrial/
academic research contracts under two Energy Technologies Institute programmes (ReDAPT and PerAWaT) to produce tools that estimate energy yield of major marine energy arrays.
2010 The Institute is awarded a lead role
in phase III of the EPSRC-funded SuperGen Marine Energy Research Consortium.
2011 The Institute receives further
support from EPSRC to establish and operate the UK Centre for Marine Energy over the next five years.
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