Vigor has completed the construction of its first OE 35 buoy wave energy converter, developed by the Irish Ocean Energy.
The wave generator is actuallyAn 826-ton buoy measuring 38x18 m with a draft of 9.5 m and a potential power of up to 1.25 MW. Its shape resembles an inverted letter "G". with a long open chamber below the water level and an above-water turbine.
When water enters the open chamber, it pushes air upward, causing the turbine to spin and generate electricity. Further, when the water leaves, it createsvacuum, due to which the system is again filled with air, supporting the rotation of the turbine, and a new cycle begins.
The $ 12 million project was funded by the US Department of Energy in conjunction with the Irish Renewable Energy Authority.
A giant buoy will be launched off the coast of the stateOregon, from where his 25-day journey will begin to the US Navy test site at Keynho Bay in Hawaii. There, the performance of the system will be tested throughout the year.
Ocean Energy's long-term plan includes five more such buoys and their installation off the coast of Newport.
Recall that in July, the engineering company IHI introduced a prototype 30-ton turbine system that uses the energy of ocean currents to produce electricity.
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