Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd and Quoceant Ltd teamed up to deliver the next major step forward in hydraulic power take off systems for renewable energy applications. The project integrated hydraulic digital displacement technology into the state of the art ex-Pelamis Power Take-off (PTO) systems to produce a new ‘hybrid’ with a combined capability greater than the sum of the parts.
The highly innovative system offers continuously variable control of loads in reaction to the wave forces on the wave energy converter (WEC) with the unparalleled efficiency and power handling capability of the ex-Pelamis system. The hybrid system should represent a system close to the ultimate limits of performance for a fluid power WEC PTO system.
This approach offers the best combination of controllability and efficiency. However, it is technically challenging to implement and the Stage 3 PTO project was completed to confirm that the required functionality and benefits were achievable in practice.