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British marine engineering companies are to join forces with Canadian counterparts to progress tidal energy development.
Edinburgh-based FloWave is to play a major role in a project to develop a sensor system to measure the impact of turbulence on tidal devices. Improved understanding of turbulence will allow developers to improve design and deploy technology that can withstand the effects of strong tides and currents.
The FloWave test facility, housed at the University of Edinburgh, comprises a 25m diameter circular wave and current tank that holds 2.4 million litres of water. Wave makers on the surface and flow-drive units underneath create currents in multiple directions, mimicking the conditions at tidal energy sites.
FloWave is to work in unison with Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and Ocean Array Systems, alongside British Columbia-based Dalhousie University, Black Rock Tidal Power and project leader Rockland Scientific.
Stuart Brown, chief executive at FloWave, said: “Our test tank is capable of replicating both EMEC and the Bay of Fundy at scale. The prospect of new instrumentation, data and analysis techniques that will help the industry better understand and address the challenge of turbulence in the tidal flow, particularly around structures and within projects, is to be welcomed.”
Meanwhile, a second project involves UK-based Tritech International, Ocean Sonics, and SMRU’s UK and Canada divisions in partnership with Nova Scotia-based OpenHydro Canada, Acadia University and project leader Emera. This project will develop an acoustic sensing system to improve the detection and tracking of fish and marine mammals at tidal sites in the Bay of Fundy. The software will be used at the Cape Sharp Tidal berth at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy, gathering realtime data to assess the impact of its tidal turbine on marine life in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.
Scott McLay, sales director at Tritech, developer of acoustic technology, said: “This project allows for enhancements to a system which already successfully helps classify and track a range of subsea targets.”