SeaBlade

Title: Systematic Evaluation and Analysis of BLADEs for a 2MW floating Tidal Energy Converter
Start Date: 3 October 2018
End Date: 31 December 2020
Funding Body: Oceanera-Net Cofund
Project Partners: National University of Ireland, Galway, EireComposites, Orbital Marine Power (OMP)
Principle Investigators: Dr Jamie Goggins, NUI Galway
Project Manager: Dr William Finnnegan,
Research Areas: Tidal Energy, Renewable Energy
Website: SEABLADE – NUI Galway

Tidal Energy

Introduction

This project concerns testing of blades for a 2MW tidal turbine. ÉireComposites has identified the strong potential to reduce the cost of tidal turbine blades using epoxy powder and glass fibre and an innovative proprietary manufacturing technology with advantages for weight, performance, efficiency, reliability, maintenance and costs.

Aim

The key objective is to gather sufficient test data to validate a 20-year design life for the blades. This will result in more reliable blades that will lead to reduced maintenance and increased productivity and revenue. The project will, therefore, reduce the commercial risks associated with tidal energy.

Work Packages

Testing activities will include fatigue testing at coupon, breadboard, component and full-scale levels and operations trials of a full-scale blade. It constitutes the most extensive test program ever performed on a large tidal blade. As such, it concerns the call topics 1, 2 and 4 (Ocean energy devices, Components and subsystems and Materials and structures)

Deliverables

The company is delivering a set of these blades through the Horizon2020 FloTEC project (No. 691916). The SEABLADE project will advance the verifiable design life of such blades through a suite of tests and verification studies, both accelerating advancement of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and commercial readiness and informing decision making for future design iterations to reduce material costs, while also improving reliability and performance even further.