mWave energy converter enters final test and assembly

Testing of sub-systems is currently underway as Bombora prepares to deliver the £20m project, which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Welsh Government.

The company’s mWave cell membranes modules are being operated through their final round of design limit testing before being fitted into a steel foundation structure in Pembroke Dock.

Bombora said its mWave solution involves a series of air-inflated concave cells covered with rubber membranes and mounted into a steel foundation structure secured beneath the ocean’s surface. As waves pass overhead, air is squeezed out of each cell module in sequence, passing through one-way valves and into a duct system fitted with an axial turbine before being recirculated to refill each of the cell modules once the wave has passed. The unidirectional axial flow turbine is directly connected to a variable-speed generator to produce electricity. 

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“This is a really exciting phase as we gear up to deploy the world’s most powerful Wave Energy Converter,” said Bombora’s COO, Dave Rigg. “The project has been progressing at pace, with our specialist mWave cell membranes currently undergoing final tests, with extreme inflation and deflation cycles. This is the culmination of the full-system testing process involving detailed instrumentation, operation of the valve systems and powering of the PTO [Power Take Off] module.”