Projects

Current projects

  • BUTTERFLY PROJECT: "Development and Market uptake of innovative system to obtain electrical energy from ocean wave resources"

This project has received funding from European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 774021


The general objective of BUTTERFLY project will be focused on the development, demonstration and further commercialization of an efficient system that harvest the ocean energy from waves to produce cost-competitive and sustainable electricity. BUTTERFLY solution, is a Wave-To-Wire (W2W) system that aims to produce blue energy to be integrated with other renewables and traditional electrical supply of coastal regions. This innovative solution is composed of a Wave Energy Converters (WEC) that captures the energy from waves, and a Power Take-Off (PTO) system that converts the energy into electricity. The innovative character of BUTTTERFLY will maximise the capture and conversion efficiencies, providing affordable blue energy to coastal areas with good wave resources. This potential market includes coastal regions and big islands connected to the grid, but also small islands and remote coastal communities that are fully dependent on diesel generators for most of their energy requirements, being exposed to diesel fuel price volatility, frequent fuel spills and high operation and maintenance costs.

  • PROTOTYPE TESTING IN WAVE TANK

 

  • SIMULATIONS OF NEW STRUCTURE AND WAVE TANK TESTS 

Past projects

  • "DEVELOPMENT & VALIDATION OF A WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER (WEC) BASED ON THE NEW TECHNOLOGY ROTARY AXIS"

     

  • Project developed by Rotary Wave S.L. with financial support of CDTI and FEDER funds, from March 2015 to September 2016. Funding was granted with 600.000€

     

  • The main objective of the Project was the validation in laboratory scale, and in a relevant environment, of a WEC prototype base on the new technology Rotary Axis.

     

  • Milestones to achieve:

    • Design and simulation of a prototype converter Rotary Axis
    • Technological development of the WEC considering results obtained in the simulation phase.
    • Design, acquisition and start-up on a new wave tank for 6 m prototypes
    • Wave tank tests
    • Design, construction and tests for the validation in an independent hydrodynamics experiences tank.  
    • Design, construction and tests in the Mediterranean. The launch was made on the 28/08/2015.

     

  • CONCLUSSIONS

    • The objectives of the project have been achieved and Rotary Wave in in TRL in the development phase of Butterfly device, except the SMART PUMP.
    • Scale 1:4 prototype installed in Pobla de Farnals, produced 7 kw in the highest wave range. A full-scale device would produce 700 Kw.
  • The SMART PUMP should be developed to the same level, to get a joint system.
  • With the completion of this project, the door is opened to other projects, hoping to obtain European funding, to help us in the full development and implementation of the complete Butterfly device (WEC & PTO).
  • The maturity of the technology obtained allows us to search for potential customers, at the time that we complete the development of the device.
  • It is expected that by the end of 2017 the first real-scale Butterfly device will be on the market. 

Project funded by:

More info 

 

Future projects

  • Co-generation in desalination plant.
  • Butterfly-Rotary 24x2 m Device Construction. Offshore installation and tests. Energy production.
  • Design of Current device. Wave tank tests. River tests. Energy production.