CETO 3 Passes Trial Tests
During the test period the system operated in line withexpectations through a range of sea states including 1m to 4.6m wave heights.The pump stroked its full range of displacement through to 3m and wassuccessfully dampened at high loads. The pump also produced hydraulic pressuresin excess of 90bar which is more than that required for reverse osmosisdesalination.
Carnegie’s Managing Director Dr Michael Ottaviano said,“We’re very pleased with the performance of the CETO 3 unit. We now have anenormous amount of data that the Carnegie team is now analysing which willallow us to validate our computational models and which in turn allows the finalisationof the design for our grid connected demonstration project.”
Recovery of the buoyant actuator and pump assembly will allowfor a full visual and technical inspection to take place as well as theretrieval of monitoring equipment and data contained in the buoyant actuatorwhich was not connected to the remote communications system. This data includesmotion and location of the buoyant actuator from an inertial measurement unit locatedon the buoyant actuator which recorded the exact position of the buoyantactuator in 3 dimensions for the testing period. This data will be used to verifyand enhance Carnegie’s understanding of the buoyant actuator’s hydrodynamic behaviourthrough a wide range of sea states. The balance of plant for the CETO 3 testsystem, including the subsea hydraulic module, foundation, communicationssystem and data buoy remain offshore in preparation for subsequent testingphases.
The results of the offshore test phase will continue to beanalysed over the coming weeks and then be used along with the recentlycompleted conceptual design study to allow the completion of the detaileddesign of a small scale, grid-connected, commercial demonstration project.Final site selection for this project will be made over the coming months. Thesuccessful installation, operation and removal of the CETO 3 unit, along withthe completion of the demonstration project conceptual design marks the end ofStage 1 of the Perth Wave Energy project which was achieved with the support ofthe State Government of Western Australia through the LEED grant programme.
Carnegie’s Perth Wave Energy Project is locatedoffshore in the ocean between Garden Island and Five Fathom Bank at a depth ofapproximately 25 metres. Upon completion, it will be Australia’s firstcommercial scale wave energy project. The primary aim of the project is todemonstrate the CETO technology in commercial operation. The project site couldalso be a base for a desalination pilot project utilising Carnegie’s CETOtechnology.
