Based on the functioning of the human heart, CorPower Ocean has developed the HiWave system, capable of absorbing five times more wave energy than previous designs.
How the HiWave wave energy converter works. (Video: CorPower Ocean)
French energy company TotalEnergies is collaborating with Swiss firm CorPower Ocean to harness ocean wave energy, creating a renewable energy solution. This partnership project will develop technology currently being piloted in the Aguçadoura area of northern Portugal, as reported by Interesting Engineering on December 11.
Like wind, ocean waves are a recurring phenomenon with the potential to be harnessed as an energy source. The design of CorPower Ocean’s wave energy converter (WEC), named HiWave, is nearing its goal of becoming a reality. Established in 2012, the company has refined the WEC through a development process and is preparing for commercialization.
CorPower Ocean’s HiWave wave energy converter (WEC).
The design of the WEC by CorPower Ocean is the brainchild of Stig Lundbäck, a doctor with numerous patents. In this design, the motion of the waves is converted into rotational motion through a gearbox in the energy converter. This rotational motion can then be used to drive a generator that produces electricity. Over a decade since 2012, the company has adjusted the design through increasingly rigorous development phases and launched a version from development stage 4 in Aguçadoura this August.
In the following months, the Portuguese coastline experienced several storms with waves reaching heights of 13 meters, testing its operational readiness. More recently, the device passed its most challenging test with waves as high as 18 meters, and its performance was measured from Stockholm under various weather conditions.
With the collaboration project alongside TotalEnergies, CorPower Ocean will conduct a more in-depth pilot program, where three WEC devices will be connected to form a system called CorPack. CorPack will also include anchoring systems, inter-array cables, and power collection units, turning it into a complete solution that can be commercialized and scaled.
