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Pelamis Wec - Intermediate Scale Demonstration PELAMIS WEC - INTERMEDIATE SCALE DEMONSTRATION V/06/00188/00/00/REP DTI URN 03/1434 Contractor Ocean Power Delivery Ltd. Prepared by Dr. Richard Yemm The work described in this report was carried out under contract as part of the DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme, which is managed by Future Energy Solutions. The views and judgements expressed in this report are those of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect those of the DTI or Future Energy Solutions. First Published 2003 © Crown Copyright 2003 dti EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Pelamis Wave energy Converter (WEC) is an innovative concept for extracting energy from ocean waves and converting it into a useful product such as electricity, direct hydraulic pressure or potable water. The system is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams that pump high-pressure oil through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. The complete machine is flexibly moored so as to swing head-on to the incoming waves and derives its 'reference' from spanning successive wave crests. This project, which has been part funded by the UK DTI New & Renewable Energy Programme, has successfully demonstrated the complete Pelamis WEC system at 1/7th scale. This is a vital step on the path towards proving the system at full-scale and onwards commercialisation. The intermediate scale system has shown that the full Pelamis WEC system can be implementedusing 100% availabletechnology. PROGRAMME SUMMARY Early in the Pelamis WEC development programme OPD identified a requirement for an intermediate scale ‘systems’ demonstrator with which to develop and provethe full-scale Pelamis hydraulic, control and data acquisition systems. The model was conceived tothe OPD ethos of systematically tackling each aspect of technical risk before committing to a full-scale prototype. It is seen as absolutely critical to the overall success of the technical programme that as little immature technology as possible is incorporated within the first full-scale prototype. The step to a full-scale technology demonstrator must be as pure an engineering exercise as possible, rather than an uncertain part of the research and development process. A scale of 1/7th was chosen for the intermediate scale model to match the wave climate in the Firth of Forth. This scale is large enough for functionally realistic systems to be tested while remaining small enough to avoid the need for specialist handling equipment. The DTI-supported programme reported here was to build the 7th scale machine, integrate and commission the full power take-off, control and data-acquisition systems, then to deploy and test the whole machine in representative conditions. The complete machine was successfully tested in a range of conditions in the Firth of Forth. All tests confirmed the functionality and expected behaviour of the system. Though the scope and nature of the tests was not as broad as had been originally intended a wide range of useful data and operational experience was obtained. The key results from these tests are presented later in this report. The 7th scale machine represents a cheap, rugged test platform with which to continue onward development and verification of all aspects of the full-scale control and data I acquisition systems. OPD will be using the machine extensively during final design, build and deployment of the full-scale prototype machine. SPECIFIC PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES 1. To build, commission and demonstratea 7th scale full-system model of the Pelamis WEC 2. To develop and demonstrate a robust preliminary SCADA system for the future full-scale technology demonstrator 3. To validate numerical simulations of the complete system 4. To test the complete SCADA system in a broad range of conditions in active control mode, passive 'fail-safe' control mode and fora range of partial failure scenarios 5. To thereby address remaining key areas of technical risk via a cheap, robust but realistic full-system model 6. To allow OPD engineers to work closely with the project partners for the full- scale programme 7. To give the OPD team valuable experience working with complex systems in the field. MAIN PROGRAMME CONCLUSIONS The resulting demonstrator has proven the fundamentals of the complete system and the main conclusions from the programme are as follows: 1. A complete Pelamis WEC system has been built, commissioned and tested. 2. The 7th scale machine is, in all respects, a working wave power demonstrator apart from the final step of power generation. The programme has been of enormous benefit to the technology andthe OPD development team. 3. Tests were conducted with the system inthe Firth of Forth. All tests were carried out with the machine under tow behind a support vessel. The model was towed via a representative mooring system to allow it to respond in the correct way. It is intended that initial tests with the forthcoming full-scale demonstrator will be carried out in the same way. The 7th scale trials have provided invaluable experience of working in this mode. 4. The functionality and operation of the proprietary OPD hydraulic power take-off and conversion system has been validated. Active and passive control systems II have been demonstrated in the laboratory using a joint systems test rig. The control algorithms have been tested onthe 7th scale machine at sea. The results of all these tests have been used to validate the simulation code and to direct the onward design programme. 5. The functionality and flexibility of the embedded control and data-acquisition systems has been validated. 6. The individual joint control modules have successfully demonstrated robust active and failsafe characteristics. However, early tests showed that the network software was not robust enough for extended operation and a complete re-write has been carried out. The new software is currently being evaluated. 7. Further tests in controlled wave tank conditions should be carried out to generate specific performance data and further verify the active and passive control modes and algorithms 8. The project has proven that OPD can work with a wide range of suppliers to delivera complex system, and can deploy and operate such a system in the field. 9. The programmehas been invaluable for ‘marinising’ the technology and the OPD team. 10. The Pelamis WEC is now ready to proceed to full-scale technology development and demonstration. DISCUSSION OF DEVELOPMENT ISSUES ADDRESSED The successful build, commissioning and test of the 7th scale machine represents a major milestone in the Pelamis WEC development programme. Until this point the machine had only existed as tank test models, paper designs and in the form of a full machine simulation. The 7th scale machine is, in all respects apart from scale and power generation, a complete Pelamis WEC system, and as such proves that the concept is technically realisable. The programme has been of enormous benefit to the technology and the OPD team. The 7th scale machine is the first model that has had to be essentially autonomous with outside intervention limited to data-retrieval and reprogramming. Successful deployment, test and retrieval of the machine have given OPD extensive experience of these tasks, most of which will be similar forthe full-scale prototype. Testing of the 7th scale system was carried out with the system under-tow behind a support-vessel, the machine was towed via a representative mooring system to ensure the response was realistic. This allows a ‘hands-on-the-pram’ approach to be used and simplifies deployment and retrieval systems and procedures. As a result of this experience the programme for the first full-scale machine has been modified to include a III period ofsea-trials under-tow before the full-scale machine is installed on site. This is now seen as a vital part of the commissioning of the full-scale prototype and would have been overlooked had the 7th scale machine not been built. Experience with deployment, tow and retrieval of the 7th scale machine has led to several key innovations and detailed design improvements to the full-scale mooring systems that will allow faster, safer installationand removal of the full-scale system, in a far wider range of wave conditions. Tests in the field have given OPD the requisite experience with operating complex systems, off-site in the marine environment. In particular, remote communications, re­ programming, and data acquisition have been successfully carried out. The functionality and adaptability of the proprietary OPD hydraulic power capture and conversion system has been thoroughly proven, both through the development of the onshore systems test rig and through tests in the field with the complete machine. The results have been used to direct the detailed design of the full-scale system. To assess the results from both the test rig and the whole machine the numerical simulation code has been extensively modified and extended. The system now includes full modelling of the hydraulic system including control valve characteristics, hydraulic compressibility and flow losses. This has allowed much more detailed modelling of the full-scale system to be carried out. This has led to significant improvement and optimisation of the full-scale hydraulics design. Both active and passive fail-safe algorithms have been developed and implemented on both the machine and the simulation. This has allowed validation of the numerical simulation code. The project has identified that increased robustness is required in the control software, and this is being addressed inthe onward programme. A complete software re-write was commissioned, and the new code is currently being evaluated. The 7th scale machine will continue to be the main test-bed for the improved software, an onward test programme is in progress.
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