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The Government’s 2003 Energy White paper aims to generate 10% of UK electricity from renewable energy sources by 2010. The NAREG Group has designed and built the linear generator which has now been linked to the prime mover built by Altec Engineering of Bowburn in Durham. The power converter for the equipment will be completed in the New Year. The whole test rig and cradle, which is eight metres long, weighs seven tonnes has now been assembled at Altec Engineering and will be shipped to the EnergyLINK Laboratory within the Charles Parsons Technology Centre at NaREC in Blyth where it will be dry tested for six months.

The test rig is capable of replicating wave energy motion using computerised simulation programmes developed by the Group and it is also capable of recovering electrical energy through the power converter designed and built at Durham.

Dr. Markus Mueller, now at Edinburgh University started the project, and Dr. Nick Baker has been responsible for project design with the NAREG Group at Durham. Nick Baker says : “Generating the electricity which is at low voltage and low frequency is only half the story. Power conversion is crucial to the success of the machine. It has been a challenging and demanding project, starting with two earlier much smaller prototypes with outputs of 1 KW and 3 KW. The completion of the much bigger prototype and test rig moves the project to the next important stage of testing.”

The design and assembly of the linear generator presented many challenges. Using 24 large magnets of neodymium iron boron which had to be manufactured in China and then machined and magnetised by a specialist firm in Sheffield. The generator frame had to be constructed mainly of aluminium to counteract the massive magnetic forces with some stainless steel parts and special Teflon bearings. The construction and assembly was completed in the Workshops of the School of Engineering. Dr. Baker is taking up a research post at Lancaster University and together with former Durham colleagues Dr. Markus Mueller and Prof Peter Tavner it is planned to set up a consortium of the three universities to carry the research forward.

Professor Tavner said : “Starting from the initial funding grant awarded in September 2003 it has been a truly remarkable achievement to get to the stage of completing the test rig in such a short time. This really is leading edge research of the highest calibre and is a prime example of the University’s role in the region and working with local companies to develop new technologies.”

It is envisaged that wave power machines will convert wave motion through a large floating buoy attached to the vertical piston of a linear generator. Such machines would need to be positioned offshore in locations exposed to wide expanses of sea or ocean. The North West coast of Scotland is considered to be the ideal area in the UK for wave generation.

“Wave power generation research is at the same stage as wind power generation was about ten years ago. The technology of wave power generation is much more complex than power generation by wind turbines and the Durham research is the most advanced in the world,” said Professor Tavner.

For further information contact : Professor Peter Tavner, School of Engineering, University of Durham, Tel 0191 334 2460 e-mail : peter.tavner@durham.ac.uk Media enquiries to : Tom Fennelly. Public Relations Office, University of Durham, Tel 0191 334 6078 e-mail : t.p.fennelly@durham.ac.uk