Swell development

It was while sailing in the Caribbean that James McCague, technical director of Ocean Navitas, hit upon the idea of developing a new type of wave-energy device.

Returning to the UK, McCague conducted a review of existing wave-energy-conversion devices before concluding that his method of extracting electrical energy from the waves would provide genuine advantages over existing systems. The result of his efforts is a renewable-energy system that will generate power at its maximum rated capacity in sea states of 3.5m in coastal regions around the UK.

In the Ocean Navitas system, a buoyancy float is carried up and down as it reacts to ocean swell and the effect of gravity. The motion of the float is then transferred through a set of bespoke gearing to a standard permanent magnet alternator that creates electrical power.

At the heart of the system is the Aegir dynamo mechanical drive. This is responsible for converting the energy captured from the upward motion of the waves and the downward motion of gravity into singular directional rotational energy.