Strathclyde to explore wave energy potential

A total of eight projects have been awarded a share of the £7.5m funding from the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). These projects aim to overcome the challenges in developing devices that efficiently capture wave energy and convert it into a renewable electricity source.

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) transform the kinetic and potential energy of ocean waves into electricity. With a a grant of £975,000 and led by Strathclyde’s Dr Qing Xiao, the Bionic Adaptive Stretchable Materials for Wave Energy Converters study will explore whether the flexible aquatic animal-inspired materials could help to overcome challenges to the commercialisation of existing rigid structure WECs.

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“There are several benefits in using a flexible material as part of WEC structures,” said Dr Xiao, of Strathclyde’s department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering. “The adaptive shape feature may allow the device to deform in extreme wave events, contributing to reductions of peak wave load and increases in device fatigue life, thus extending the device’s survivability compared with rigid body WECs.”