Wave energy research, development and demonstration at Oregon State University

This paper presents the wave energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) efforts at Oregon State University (OSU), including the activities of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) headquartered at OSU. The NNMREC facilities and research thrusts are described, and a full-scale mobile ocean test berth (MOTB) concept is detailed. In addition, a high-precision wave tank testing system established at OSU's O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory (HWRL) is presented. The critical wave tank instrumentation, optical motion tracking system, data acquisition and related components are characterized. The paper concludes with example testing of scaled wave energy devices as well as upcoming device array testing.