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Islay LIMPET

Coordinates: 55°41′25″N 6°31′20″W / 55.6904°N 6.5223°W / 55.6904; -6.5223
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Islay LIMPET
The LIMPET installation
Map
Country
  • United Kingdom
LocationIslay, Scotland
Coordinates55°41′25″N 6°31′20″W / 55.6904°N 6.5223°W / 55.6904; -6.5223
StatusOperational
Commission date2000 (2000)
Wave power station
TypeOscillating Water Column
Power generation
Nameplate capacity0.25 MW[1]
[edit on Wikidata]

Islay LIMPET is the world's first commercial wave power device connected to the United Kingdom's National Grid.

Following the construction of a 75 kW prototype in 1991, a 500 kW unit was built in 2000, and is located at Claddach Farm on the Rhinns of Islay[2] on the Scottish island of Islay. The capacity was later downgraded to 250 kW.[1][3] Islay LIMPET (Land Installed Marine Power Energy Transmitter) was developed by Wavegen in cooperation with Queen's University Belfast.

Technology

Close up view of the seaward face of LIMPET

Islay LIMPET is a shoreline device uses an Oscillating Water Column to drive air in and out of a pressure chamber through a Wells turbine.[1][4][5] The chamber of the LIMPET is an inclined concrete tube with its opening below the water level. As external wave action causes the water level in the chamber to oscillate, the variation in water level alternately compresses and decompresses the trapped air above, causing air to flow backwards and forwards through a pair of contra-rotating turbines. A report covering the long term running of the turbine was produced in 2002.[6]

Further development based on the Technology

Based on this design, a 16 turbine plant was built in the Bay of Biscay in Spain, the Mutriku Breakwater Wave Plant, which was fully operational and handed over to the company in 2011.[7]

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2048366
  2. ^ Tom Heath. "The Construction, Commissioning and Operation of the LIMPET Wave Energy Collector" (PDF). Wavegen. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  3. ^ "limpet.pdf" (PDF).
  4. ^ "How it works: Wave power station". BBC News. 2000-11-20.
  5. ^ Seenan, Gerard (2000-09-14). "Islay pioneers harnessing of wave power". The Guardian. London.
  6. ^ "Limper report 2002" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Inverness firm hands over the world's first full life wave power plant". www.inverness-courier.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
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