About The Project

Commercial vision

The commercial vision is to deploy a number of platforms, each of which supports a closely spaced array of bobbing floats (between 25 and 50) that generate electricity through independent generators. Each of the generators will be rated at 500kW so a platform will be rated at approximately 12MW and will provide an average annual output of 4MW. Initially, platforms will be deployed in water depths of between 20 to 40 metres. Commercialisation of the technology is being driven by the Manchester Bobber Company Ltd and nine industrial partners.

Current Position

Phase 3 has two parallel streams (3a and 3b). The Manchester Bobber team has secured grant funding for phase 3a (1:70th array optimisation and modelling) and is now in the process of seeking funds and industrial support for Phase 3b of the commercial development.

Phase 3a focuses on optimising and refining the design team's understanding of how bobbers interact when installed in a closely spaced array. Experimental studies have been conducted at 1:70th scale to measure the response and power capture of each float within an array due to a range of incident waves. Measurements indicate that the average response and output of each float is sensitive to its position within the array indicating that interactions are significant. Although interactions reduce the output of some Bobbers, the output of other floats is increased. Significantly, the net output from an array is often greater than the net output from the same number of bobbers in isolation. Further studies are in progress to optimise net output, confirm these array interaction findings at larger scale and assess design loads and stresses. Tests in severe seas and extreme waves have led to the evolution of a patented float design which extends the operational range of the Bobber and improves survivability. These findings feed directly into the partner companies' design for a fall scale prototype.

Phase 3b aims to bring together a consortium of industrial partners with the relevant expertise and commercial funding partners with the commitment to undertake full scale prototype testing. A team of nine industrial partners has been developed each with complementary expertise. This partnership forms the foundations for future commercialisation of the technology and rewards early industrial sponsors with exclusivity during future commercialisation contracts. The purpose of phase 3b is to:

• Design and fabricate a full scale float and full scale drive train
• Deploy the float and drivetrain in open sea conditions
• Test in open sea conditions
• Develop designs for commercial deployments

History

Phase 2 the second tranche of Carbon Trust funding has enabled the Manchester Bobber partners to carry out a 6 month programme of work:

• Design, manufacture and test a 1/10th scale model of the Manchester Bobber (NaREC- Blyth during Sept. ‘05)
• Design and cost conceptual designs (fixed bed and floating) for a full scale array platform.  Work carried out by Royal Haskoning and Carillion (formerly Mowlem plc), respectively.
• Determine projected costs for the generation of electricity via a full scale array.
• Further development and validation of the computational model including random and regular wave patterns.
• Outputs from Phase 2

• Predictable scale up from 100th to 10th scale
• Refined computational model
• Based on full scale platform design cost estimates and extrapolated modelling of the bobbers electrical outputs using the refined computational model gives confidence in a cost competitive technology
• Predicted average output of a full scale bobber is very encouraging

1. Cost estimates (±20%) includes platform fabrication, 25 floats, drive train, installation, decommission, foundation prep, soil investigation, planning consent, licenses.
2. Cost estimates do not take into account friction losses in present design or economies of scale.

Phase 1 the initial testing of the wave energy device commenced in Jan.’04 with a 12 month Carbon Trust award.  Design, development and testing of a 1/100th scale working device in parallel with the development of a computational model were successfully completed.  At the same time UMIP implemented protection of the intellectual property and assisted in a second round of Carbon Trust funding.  This has subsequently been awarded in collaboration with project partners Mowlem plc (acquired by Carillion) and Royal Haskoning.  Work commences on the 6 month phase 2 from June’05.