Pelamis Wave Power (Pelamis) is an Edinburgh, UK company that makes a snake-like device for generating energy from ocean waves. Pelamis recently announced that it has secured an order for its P2 Wave Energy Converter from ScottishPower Renewables (see Recharge story here).
Pelamis’s P2 Wave Energy Converter (improved from the prior P1 model and rated at 750 kW) consists of several cylindrical sections connected by hinged joints, which move in ocean waves. Hydraulic rams resist the motion of the joints and pump high pressure fluid through hydraulic motors, which drive generators to produce electricity.Â
The generated power is fed through an “umbilical” cable to a junction on the seabed and then linked to shore. Pelamis’s International Patent Application No. PCT/GB2009/050732 (‘732 Application), entitled “Marine connection system and method,” is directed to a system to facilitate faster connection between a marine structure and a sub-sea umbilical cable.
The connection system (1) comprises a buoyant winching system (2) having a winch (9) that can be towed to an off-shore location by a tug or other vessel. Cable (3) is connected to cable (4) via a latching mechanism having a first element (5) and a second element (6).Â
The second element (6) is permanently located at the connection site and is connected to a location buoy (32) using a tether line (26). The buoyant winching system (2) may include a frame (7) mounted between two buoyancy units (8). The winch (9) is carried on the frame (7) and has a reel (10) and a winch line (11).
A motor (12) is mounted on the frame (7) and may be mounted on the winch (9) for rotation and axial drive of the reel (10). The line (11) is wound around the reel (10) such that it can be selectively paid out and wound in by rotation of the reel.
The ‘732 Application also discloses embodiments of the connection system used in conjunction with a marine structure “which comprises the first body to be connected to the second body,” which I read to be Pelamis’s sectional Wave Energy Converter.
