With
the OPEC oil crisis in the 1970s, there was a resurgence of interest in wave
power. The most notable of the of the prototypes was “Salter's Duck” that had a
number of segments shaped floats rotating central axis. In theory, it looked
really good. But Prof Norman Bellamy, who built a prototype and tested it,
reported that the mechanical complexity was greater than expected and the power
output was about one third of expected. He went on to develop a new device
consisting of floating hinged steel tubes that faced into the waves and
generated electricity from hydraulic rams at each hinge as the wave passed
along the device. Prototype tests on Loch Ness revealed serious problems with
designing and manufacturing a device that could withstand a storm and still
generate useful amounts of power under normal wave conditions. So he abandoned
that option and switched to a system with air bags that was much more
promising. A prototype was built and was quite promising that he eventually
abandoned it to pursue more attractive options.
