Waves to Water ADAPT Stage Ocean Waters (Text Version)

This is a text version of the video Waves to Water ADAPT Stage Ocean Waters.

For the ADAPT Stage design, we focused on reliability, easy installation, and maximizing water production. To increase reliability, we changed our design to be fully mechanical, adapt to the tide level, and include multiple safety mechanisms that prevent failures during stormy conditions. To facilitate the installation process, we enclosed all of our onshore components in one inflatable buoy with a single point connection to the mooring lines. After validating our design by testing the small-scale prototype in the wave tank, we optimized the buoy shape and power take off to maximize water production and wave energy extraction. All of these changes will ensure a steady, portable supply of water to coastal communities.

The ADAPT Stage winnings will help us scale-up our prototype to the full-size, robust system we will need for the DRINK Stage. We will use our funds to buy and make stronger, more reliable components that will function well in the marine environment. For example, we are engaging an experienced marine craft manufacturer to build the custom inflatable buoy that we will deploy at Jennette's Pier.

The CREATE Stage is an incredible moment, when we finally get to build the technology we've been designing for about two years. There are two aspects of prototyping that gets us very excited. First, validating our previous assumptions and numerical models makes us grow as engineers and scientists—giving us a broader view of the challenges inherent to wave energy extraction. Second, testing our prototypes is our first palpable achievement—putting us closer to providing a product that will reliably supply remote coastal communities with fresh water during disaster relief scenarios.