A big reason we don’t already get our power from ocean waves is that it is very difficult and expensive to install something like a wave energy converter in the ocean in order to test its performance and endurance. Now Tecnalia research and development center has deployed HarshLab1.0 at Biscay Marine Energy Platform(BIMEP), designed to test marine technologies in the harsh ocean environments where they will be deployed.
Harshlab can test for new materials and coatings, complex equipment such as movement or positioning sensors and electrical and power efficacy. The laboratory has a 3G telecommunications connection, its own weather station, a positioning system, an underwater modem to connect submerged elements to the surface and a small ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) for inspections.
It allows tests to be carried out under controlled conditions of:
- Corrosion
- Aging
- Antifouling solutions
- Sensoring and communications systems for the offshore world.
- New connection systems for risers, connectors and umbilicals in real conditions.
- Prototypes in operation and connected to the electrical grid, which are immersed, on deck or in the hold.
The testing conditions include:
- The atmospheric area
- The splash area
- The immersion area
- Anchoring elements
- Umbilicals, connectors and risers
- Tests on the seabed
The testing facility also has weather stations and ocean buoys installed in and around BIMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform), we have extensive records on the weather and sea conditions recorded during the tests.
