Azura (wave power device)

Development was in 2006 by Callaghan Innovation and was first called WET-NZ. The initial concept was called the TRL 1, entered the micro-modeling stage under the name TRL 3, and is being tested in the open ocean with large scale prototypes called TRL 5/6 deployed near Christchurch, New Zealand ==Description and operation==

Azura floats on the surface of the sea and weighs 45 tons (41 tonnes). It has a unique floating mechanism that can rotate 360 degrees. This enables it to extract power from horizontal (surge) as well as vertical (heave) wave motion. Azura is a point absorber. This means that it uses a floating surface mechanism to absorb the energy of waves from different directions. This is the most common type of deepwater wave energy generator. The generator is driven with a high-pressure hydraulics system. ==Environmental Considerations==

Many agencies have overseen and conducted assessments on the project prior to implementation. These included US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Coast Guard, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Oregon-based Department of State Lands, Department of Land Conservation and Development, and Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the project as well. ==Preliminary tests==

The initial phase of development used a smaller prototype that was tested in a wave tank. A second prototype was then installed in 2012 for a 6-week period at the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center’s test site off the coast of Oregon in an open-sea area. During that test, the device was exposed to wave heights of up to 3.75-meters in a 12 to 14-second sea state. Both tests were successful. ==Future plans==

Northwest Energy Innovations (NWEI) used information gathered during the test in Hawaii to further develop the project. With the Department of Energy providing an additional $5 million, NWEI planned to modify Azura to increase its efficiency and improve reliability. A new design was then expected to be tested at full-scale, generating between 500 kilowatts and one megawatt of power. This was to be situated in a 60 to 80-meter-deep (100–150 feet) berth. One megawatt is sufficient to provide electricity to several hundred homes. The megawatt-scale device was never built, as it was found not to be commercially viable. Instead the company are targeting off-grid markets such as aquaculture and remote island communities that typically use competitively expensive diesel generators to provide electricity. The new devices will be transportable in standard 40-foot shipping containers, reducing transport costs. == See also ==