Free training around wave technologies on offer in Cork

27 Mar 2012

Irish company's Wavebob's wave-energy convertor, which harnesses ocean power to produce clean electricity. Last year, Wavebob started collaborating with Spanish technology company Abengoa on the development and commercialisation of wave energy systems

The Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network (MARINET) is offering a free, week-long course on the experimental testing of wave energy convertors at University College Cork (UCC) in April.

MARINET will also be starting other new training and education courses around the operations of marine renewable energy infrastructures.

A new initiative, MARINET is aiming to speed up the development of marine renewable energy technology. In all, a network of specialist marine research facilities in 11 EU countries are involved in the project, with UCC’s Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre acting as co-ordinator.

The other partners hail from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK. Brazil is an international co-operation partner country.

The first course is a five-day introductory programme on the experimental testing of wave energy converters in wave tanks and flumes.
It is being held at UCC’s Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre from 23-27 April.

The short courses are primarily intended for early-stage researchers, but MARINET said they are open to specialists in the marine renewable energy area who come from companies, research groups or educational institutions.

MARINET said it would also be providing travel and subsistence grants to support early-stage researchers who wish to attend courses.

The April course will offer a mixture of lectures and practical work, along with an introduction to waves. It will also cover basic wave analysis in the time/frequency domains and wave energy convertor test planning.

Registration forms are available online.

Carmel Doyle was a long-time reporter with Silicon Republic

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