FloWave joins international study

University subsidiary company FloWave TT is to team up with UK and Canadian partners on tidal energy research.

Their project, involving academia and industry, will seek to improve the understanding of turbulence in energetic tidal flows.

This will aid development of marine energy conversion devices that can generate clean low-carbon energy from strong tides and currents.

International deal

The initiative is one of two projects that are announced under a memorandum of understanding between Nova Scotia and the UK.

The two studies, worth a combined £710,000, will be funded by Innovate UK, federal government agencies and private industry in both countries.

Tank testing

FloWave TT, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), and Ocean Array Systems will work alongside British Columbia-based Dalhousie University, Black Rock Tidal Power and project leaders Rockland Scientific.

As part of their project, Rockland Scientific and its partners will develop a new sensor system to measure the impact of turbulence on tidal devices.

Research will be conducted at the University’s FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility.

Its novel circular tank, containing 2.4 million litres of water, can simulate tidal and current conditions.

Testing will also be carried out in open water at EMEC in the Orkney Islands and in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.

"FloWave is really pleased to be able to partner in this project. Our test tank is uniquely capable of replicating both EMEC and the Bay of Fundy at scale. The prospect of new instrumentation, data and analysis techniques that will help the industry better understand and address the challenge of turbulence in the tidal flow, particularly around structures and within projects, is to be welcomed. We very much look forward to working with our Canadian and UK partners over the next three years to help drive this industry forward on both sides of the Atlantic, and globally too."

Animal tracking

The second project funded under the MoU involves UK-based Tritech International, Ocean Sonics, and SMRU’s UK and Canada divisions in partnership with Nova Scotia-based OpenHydro Canada, Acadia University and project leaders Emera.

Their project will develop an acoustic sensing system to improve the detection and tracking of fish and marine mammals at tidal sites in the Bay of Fundy.