Our project recently achieved an important milestone. Colleagues from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) visited the Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) laboratory to support the testing of the H-HOPE energy harvester on a specialised test rig developed as part of Work Package 5 (WP5).
The visit brought together the combined expertise of the UPC and TU Wien teams to validate and optimise our energy harvester designs under controlled conditions. The piped-application test rig at TU Wien plays a crucial role in this process. It allows us to simulate realistic operating conditions and assess how different energy harvester configurations perform when subjected to fluid flow and dynamic loads similar to those encountered in ocean environments.
By using the test rig, we can better understand the performance impact of various design choices. This helps us fine-tune our solutions to ensure they deliver reliable, efficient power generation when deployed on ocean renewable energy infrastructure such as wave and tidal energy converters, moorings, and cables.
The tests at TU Wien mark a significant step towards demonstrating the viability of our energy-harvesting technologies. Through rigorous experimentation, we are able to collect valuable data to guide further development and enhance the robustness of our systems.
This collaboration highlights the strength of cross-institutional teamwork in addressing complex engineering challenges. We are grateful for the dedication and expertise of everyone involved — with special thanks to Alex Trojer, David Bermejo Plana, Eduard Doujak, and Xavier Escaler for their contributions.
