Maintenance Strategy and Remote Ballasting for Oyster wave energy converter

The Oyster Applied Research project aims to improve the design and cost effectiveness of the Oyster wave energy converter (WEC). The project is composed of two work packages, i) Maintenance Strategy and ii) Remote Ballasting. The project is focussed on the Oyster 800 WEC which has been installed and is currently being commissioned in Orkney, and the Oyster 801 WEC which is in the design phase.
The maintenance strategy aimed to improve the effectiveness of maintenance interventions, particularly to the offshore systems. A number of tasks have been completed which improve the reliability and availability of the WEC, through design, monitoring, spares and maintenance. These tasks include the development of a component database, FMECA analysis, specification of instrumentation, real time data analysis, and the development of techniques and a system for WEC condition monitoring.
The remote ballasting work package was initially intended to develop a fully automated ballasting system for the WEC flap, to prepare the WEC flap for maintenance without the need for local intervention from vessels or divers. The scope was later modified to the remote operation of isolation valves and WEC maintenance activities. Tasks completed include review of remote ballasting system methods and remote valve actuation, development of the maintenance philosophy, and design of maintenance concepts and equipment.