VIDEO: WaveRoller wave energy converter

February 17, 2015

AW Energy’s WaveRoller is a device that creates electricity by moving and absorbing the energy from the ocean waves.

The single WaveRoller unit, consisting of one panel, has the capacity of 500 kW up to 1000 kW depending on wave conditions at the deployment site.

Device works when the back and forth movement of water driven by wave surge puts the panel into motion, which triggers the hydraulic piston, attached to the panel, to pump the hydraulic fluids inside a closed hydraulic circuit. The high-pressure fluids are fed into a hydraulic motor that drives an electricity generator, producing electricity, which is then fed to the grid via subsea cable.

All the elements of the hydraulic circuit are enclosed inside a hermetic structure inside the device and are not exposed to the marine environment.

The device is suitable for deployment in near-shore areas, up to 2 km distant from the shore, at depths between 8 and 20 meters. The panel spans almost the entire depth of the water column from the sea bed without breaking the surface.

By installing several WaveRoller units, a wave farm can be created. Each WaveRoller is equipped with an on-board electricity generator, which means that the output from many devices can be combined via electricity cables and a substation.

WaveRoller units are made of large ballast tanks that are filled with air so they can be floated to their deployment locations.

Early in December, Lloyd’s Register cleared the WaveRoller pilot farm for the next installation, after it was under sea trials off the coast of Portugal. AW Energy announced that the first device is scheduled to be installed in Portugal in the second half of 2015.

AW Energy Ltd is a Finnish company, privately held by the founders, personnel and capital investors. The company has received financing from the Finnish national R&D fund TEKES and from the EU.

Take a look at the video showcasing WaveRoller wave energy device.