Bobbing corks 'could give power'

Source: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4301776.stm

Bobbing corks 'could give power'


A study based on the energy provided by a cork
bobbing on the water could lead to wave power
outperforming wind farms, scientists say.

University of Manchester scientists have designed
a rig that combines floats to turn waves into electricity.

If put into full-scale use, the "Manchester
Bobber" would be attached to a rig 65ft above the sea.

Co-inventor Peter Stansby said "virtually
nothing" had been done to "scale up" wave energy up until now.

If initial tests of the Bobber are successful,
the team hopes to gain funding for a full-scale trial.

---
Despite all the talk about wave energy there has
been virtually nothing done on scaling up to see
how different units interact with each other
Peter Stansby
University of Manchester
----

Mr Stansby, a hydrodynamics professor at the
university, said: "When you hear that a wind
turbine produces two megawatts, that actually indicates the maximum output.

"The Bobber's output of five megawatts is the
mean power output, with the potential of much
more depending on the conditions."

The Bobber's mechanical and electrical components
would be kept high above sea level to make them
more accessible for repairs and less vulnerable to sea water damage.

A series of units placed together would provide a
means to increase energy output, the Engineer magazine reported.

'Next step'

Manchester Intellectual Property, the
university's spin-out company, has applied for an
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council grant to test a combination of up to 49 units.

"Despite all the talk about wave energy there has
been virtually nothing done on scaling up to see
how different units interact with each other," Mr Stansby said.

"That's our next step."

Another scheme to harness wave energy, Wave Hub,
will see a £13m wave energy farm - one of the
biggest in the world - being built off Cornwall.