Final Report Summary - CA-OE (Co-ordinated Action on Ocean Energy)
In the future, ocean energy can replace a significant part of the fossil fuel used today, when the principles for conversion have been successfully demonstrated and put into mass production. Presently, only a few different systems are being tested in precommercial scale and thus initial practical experience gained. Within the CA-OE, this new knowledge and emerging research which are results from wave and tidal technologies were disseminated, promoted and shared. The partners agreed on definitions, standards in design and costing, and were open to present the performance results of the systems involved. This approach is expected in the future to provide comparable presentations of different methodologies and accelerate the development of ocean energy systems.
The main objectives were:
- to develop a common knowledge base necessary for coherent development of R&D policies;
- to bring a coordinated approach within key areas of ocean energy research and development;
- to provide a forum for the longer term marketing of promising research deliverables.
In this project, links have been created between partners and the EU-OES has been formed in order to maintain the knowledge base and interaction network. The interaction took place within the following areas:
- basic research;
- prototype testing at scaled test sites;
- full scale testing of single systems and systems in array.
To meet its objectives, the CA-OE organised five thematic interactive workshops, to enable cooperation between the interested European parties in the ocean energy sector, to disseminate the knowledge and promote the technologies.
Workshop 1: Numerical modelling and tank testing
The first workshop was held at Aalborg University, Denmark. The topic of the workshop was covered by a number of presentations introducing new modelling techniques and examples of testing ocean energy systems in different scales. The workshop provided the opportunity for ocean energy developers to share expertise and find assistance in device modelling and testing among the university partners of the project.
Workshop 2: Components and power take-off
Uppsala University, Sweden arranged and hosted the second workshop. A range of different options for power take-off systems were presented and discussed such as linear generators transforming, the oscillating forces and movements directly into electricity as developed by Uppsala, oil hydraulics as used in the Pelamis project, water turbines as used in the 'Wave dragon' project and air turbines as used in OWC's such as the Pico and Limpet systems. Other components such as moorings were also presented and discussed.
Workshop 3: Structural design
The third CA-OE workshop was held on 30-31 March 2006 at the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam and was organised by Ecofys. The topic of the workshop was system design, construction, reliability and safety. During two days, 27 presentations were shown while the breakout sessions provided a way of interacting, sharing and learning amongst the participants.
Workshop 4: Performance assessment
INETTI arranged the workshop in Lisbon. Emerging standards for monitoring device testing were presented and discussed and differences between the many different approaches to wave and tidal energy conversion were considered. The different monitoring methods required by different converters were discussed.
Workshop 5: Environmental impact
Spok prepared the last workshop at the conference centre Rungstedgaard, situated north of Copenhagen. The program was established partly by inviting presentations from the key players in the CA-OE and partly by a few invited speakers who presented information on issues not covered by the partners.
The Co-ordinated Action has promoted and disseminated promising methodologies and technologies for the conversion of ocean energy into electricity and further generated awareness to a wider public.
Frequent workshops attended by the partners and associated partners combined with exchange of personnel have generated clusters of research groups taking further research activities of common interest into new European R&D projects.
The main objectives were:
- to develop a common knowledge base necessary for coherent development of R&D policies;
- to bring a coordinated approach within key areas of ocean energy research and development;
- to provide a forum for the longer term marketing of promising research deliverables.
In this project, links have been created between partners and the EU-OES has been formed in order to maintain the knowledge base and interaction network. The interaction took place within the following areas:
- basic research;
- prototype testing at scaled test sites;
- full scale testing of single systems and systems in array.
To meet its objectives, the CA-OE organised five thematic interactive workshops, to enable cooperation between the interested European parties in the ocean energy sector, to disseminate the knowledge and promote the technologies.
Workshop 1: Numerical modelling and tank testing
The first workshop was held at Aalborg University, Denmark. The topic of the workshop was covered by a number of presentations introducing new modelling techniques and examples of testing ocean energy systems in different scales. The workshop provided the opportunity for ocean energy developers to share expertise and find assistance in device modelling and testing among the university partners of the project.
Workshop 2: Components and power take-off
Uppsala University, Sweden arranged and hosted the second workshop. A range of different options for power take-off systems were presented and discussed such as linear generators transforming, the oscillating forces and movements directly into electricity as developed by Uppsala, oil hydraulics as used in the Pelamis project, water turbines as used in the 'Wave dragon' project and air turbines as used in OWC's such as the Pico and Limpet systems. Other components such as moorings were also presented and discussed.
Workshop 3: Structural design
The third CA-OE workshop was held on 30-31 March 2006 at the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam and was organised by Ecofys. The topic of the workshop was system design, construction, reliability and safety. During two days, 27 presentations were shown while the breakout sessions provided a way of interacting, sharing and learning amongst the participants.
Workshop 4: Performance assessment
INETTI arranged the workshop in Lisbon. Emerging standards for monitoring device testing were presented and discussed and differences between the many different approaches to wave and tidal energy conversion were considered. The different monitoring methods required by different converters were discussed.
Workshop 5: Environmental impact
Spok prepared the last workshop at the conference centre Rungstedgaard, situated north of Copenhagen. The program was established partly by inviting presentations from the key players in the CA-OE and partly by a few invited speakers who presented information on issues not covered by the partners.
The Co-ordinated Action has promoted and disseminated promising methodologies and technologies for the conversion of ocean energy into electricity and further generated awareness to a wider public.
Frequent workshops attended by the partners and associated partners combined with exchange of personnel have generated clusters of research groups taking further research activities of common interest into new European R&D projects.
