Oceanlinx
Oceanlinx is a wave energy converter device company. A wave energy converter is a device which uses wave energy and converts it into electrical energy operating on the oscillating water column principle. The Oceanlinx was developed in Australia. The technology has developed greatly in the past ten years thanks to the large amount of international funds it has received. It uses advanced oscillating column technology to extract the energy from the waves. This device uses Renewable Energy. Oceanlinx is no longer in existence.
History
- 1997 - Oceanlinx is founded by Dr. Tom Denniss (As Energetech Australia Pty limited)
- 1999 - Oceanlinx receives a A$750,000 Federal Government Grant to develop the Port Kembla project
- 2001 November - Energetech closes a round of venture capital funding with the Connecticut Clean Energy fund in the United States, enabling the establishment of a US subsidiary, Energetech America
- 2002 - Three European investment groups specializing in innovative energy technology invest US$3.75 million, and German based RWE Dynamics invests US$750,000
- 2003 March - The first full-scale Denniss-Auld turbine is successfully constructed and tested
- 2003 November - Energetech America receives grant funding of US$750,000 from two state renewable funds for the development and construction of a wave energy project in Rhode Island, USA
- 2004 May - Energetech is awarded a A$1.21 million research & development grant by the Australian Federal Government, facilitating its Wave Energy Optimisation program
- 2004 December - Tom Engelsman joins Energetech as Chief Executive Officer
- 2005 March - Energetech launches its Industry Advisory Service division
- 2005 April - The Centre for Energy and Greenhouse Technologies invests A$500,000
- 2005 October - Energetech’s patented Denniss-Auld Turbine generates power and, via the desalination plant, fresh water at the test location in Port Kembla
- 2006 December - Energetech completes a permanent installation of its Port Kembla Wave Energy Plant
- 2007 February - £6.0 million fundraising with institutional investors
- 2007 April - The company changes its name to Oceanlinx
- 2009 April - Ali Baghaei becomes CEO and MD of Oceanlinx
- 2010 March - MK 3 prototype launch at Port Kempla
- 2010 May - Abnormal weather and unforeseeable damaging waves meant the MK3 prototype broke free of its moorings at Port Kembla.
- 2013 October - Oceanlinx launched the world's first 1MW wave energy converter unit 'greenWAVE'
- 2014 March - During transport 'greenWAVE' structure becomes unstable and is towed to shallow water of coastal South Australia.
Oceanlinx technology
The Oceanlinx uses the Denniss-Auld turbine, a bi-directional airflow turbine; this turbine was developed specifically for the Oceanlinx. The electrical generation or the desalination parts are 'off-the-shelf' add-ons. The Denniss-Auld Turbine is the only moving part and is above water. This is an advantage, the fewer moving parts the better and it means that the turbine is in less contact with the corrosive sea water.
The firm is developing this deep-water technology to generate electricity from, ostensibly, easy-to-predict long-wavelength ocean swell oscillations. Oceanlinx recently began installation of a third and final demonstration-scale, grid-connected unit near Port Kembla, near Sydney, Australia, a 2.5 MWe system that is expected to go online in early 2010, when its power will be connected to the Australian grid. The company's much smaller first-generation prototype unit, in operation since 2006, is now being disassembled.[1]
Mooring issues
In May 2010 the MK3 prototype broke free of its moorings and sank at the bottom of Port Kembla's eastern breakwater.[2]
References
- ↑ Adee, Sally (2009-10-21). "This Renewable Energy Source Is Swell". IEEE Spectrum Inside Technology. Retrieved 2009-10-22.
- ↑ http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/port-kembla-wave-generator-on-sea-floor/1831275.aspx