C·Power is developing the SeaRAY k20 Wave Energy Converter (WEC). This design is based on the SeaRAY k2, a patented three-body device utilizing a heave plate, dual Power Take Offs (PTOs), and single point mooring. The device is currently undergoing Pre-Installation and Test and Check Out. The 20 kW k20 is significantly larger than the 2 kW device upon which it is based but is still designed to be transportable in standard International Organization for Standardization (ISO) shipping containers or racks.

The heaviest single component of the k20 system is the central nacelle. Ocean conditions at deployment sites of commercial interest require a rugged, resilient structure. This has been achieved in the demonstration design with a reinforced steel structure. However, the mass of this structure challenges the limits of ISO container maximum weight.

To support continued development efforts of the k20, two design challenges were investigated in this study:

1. The definition of a certification path for a multifunctional structure that can serve as a shipping container for land transport, a barge to tow the WEC on station for deployment, and as the heave plate for the k20 after deployment. This design approach reduces the cost of deployment by allowing the use of smaller vessels, faster tow speeds, and fewer restrictions to weather suitable for safe marine operations. This concept also reduces costs by eliminating required shipping dunnage and potentially allowing for onshore connection of the heave plate to the WEC.
2. Improved design of the WEC center member, the nacelle, by investigating alternative materials and stiffening methods. The analysis resulting from this Request for Technical Support will inform the design of a lightweight, lower manufacturing and operating cost structure that increases energy conversion.

This project was supported during RFTS 9.