ISWEC - Inertial Sea Wave Energy Converter

ISWEC is a gyroscopic energy conversion device, floating on a hull designed ad-hoc to guarantee stability and an optimum synchronization to the wave length of the installation site.
Iswec is:

A floating installation, without rigid moorings or foundations on the seabed;
An inertial gyroscopic system generating energy in resonant conditions;
Able to exploit the slope and the wave frequency;
High scalable, being able to be exploited both in Oceans and in closed seas like the Mediterranean.

Floating

A supporting hull designed ad-hoc to enhance the pitch motion of the device allows to extract the highest level of available wave power. The concept behind the Iswec hull project is partly opposite to classical vessel design methodology, where expertise look to minimize the effects of wave dynamics on boats behavior.

The floating-type design of Iswec grounds on crucial operative and environmental considerations to guarantee to Iswec the highest level of reliability and feasibility during the life-cycle:

Easy maintenance, direct access for operations without the need of submarine facilities;
Smooth installation with a loose mooring system to the seabed;
No movable parts exposed to the marine environment;
Zero impact on the marine flora and fauna, limiting the submerged parts of the device;
Low environmental impact, thanks to the low profile on the water surface.

Gyro

The flywheel rotational axis is parallel to the vertical axis of the entire device. An electrical motor powers the disc and guarantees a high rotational speed to the flywheel. When a wave arrives from the prow, a pitch oscillation is imposed to the inertial system. Gyroscopic effects, thus, produce a roll motion of the flywheel. This rotation is extracted by an electric generator which is conveniently controlled through high-level logic.

Scalability and reliability

Iswec relies on advanced and durable technology established for offshore and other renewables applications. The hull and mooring system draw directly from offshore marine engineering, while for the electric part of the conversion system several eolic components are adopted, to benefit of the proved quality and reliability of those technologies.

Each component has been designed in various scales, in order to answer different requirements for the various identified market.

Innovations

The main innovations of ISWEC are:
• Supporting hull designed ad-hoc to enhance the pitch motion of the device and extract the highest level of available wave energy;
• Control logic of the electric generator and of the electric motor;
• No movable parts exposed to the marine environment and no pollutants onboard the floating device.