• Ocean tank,

European project LiftWEC: an innovative wave energy system tested in the Centrale Nantes ocean tanks

The LiftWEC European project aims to develop a novel and commercially attractive wave energy converter whose working principle is based on the hydrodynamic lift of rotating hydrofoils around a horizontal axis. Discover the whole project and the series of tests carried out in the LHEEA Ocean Tank on the Centrale Nantes campus in 2021.

on June 16, 2022

Experimental tank testing is an important tool in the development of wave energy converters. The performance of a wave energy converter concept can be tested on a small scale, so at a fraction of the cost of full scale and in a controlled environment. Before testing, several numerical models were developed in order to specify the tank tests. Following this testing, the consortium will analyse the measurement data, refine the numerical models and finalise a preliminary design for the LiftWEC prototype which could then be tested in real conditions on an offshore test site.
 

See footage from the LiftWEC project:

 

The LiftWEC project brings together a consortium of ten European Universities and companies. Each partner was selected because of the specialist knowledge and skills that they can bring to this unique challenge.

 The LiftWEC consortium:



 
Published on June 16, 2022 Updated on October 19, 2023