Basque engineering firm, Dikoin, has created a wave generator intended for research as well as training for Basque Country University students at the Engineering School of Bilbao. This trainer outstrips, both in size and efficiency, the equipment currently in operation in the faculty, and it represents a breakthrough in the study of wave energy.

The project consists in the installation of a 12.5-metre-long and 600 cm width flume outfitted with a wave generation system and a shore for the waves to break onto. The generator reaches a top force of 3.0 KN, thanks to a 750 W high performance servomotor. This installation allows the simulation of different types of waves with varying intensity, which makes it suitable for a range of experiments. The outcome is very close to real life, with more accurate results, and enables the study of wave energy generation.

The channel is made of stainless steel and glass and it is equipped with a time-saving pump to facilitate filling the tank up and emptying it, when carrying experiments at different depth levels.

The use of this wave generator is twofold: it is aimed at carrying research in the field of renewable energy, and it is intended for training students engaged in specific projects of master or doctorate degrees.

The study of wave power generation is raising great expectation as it is considered that wave energy is to lead renewable energy production in coming years. Even though research for harvesting wave and tidal energy is not as developed as it is in the case of solar and wind energy, several lines of research remain open.

Mutriku is home to the first commercial plant built in Europe for harnessing wave energy in order to produce electric power.

Dikoin is a technology company created as a spin-off of   Bilbao Engineering School and manufactures didactic equipment and test laboratories for training and research. Its competitive advantage comes from its capacity to respond to the customers’ specific requirements. The company, which is composed by a multidisciplinary team, sells its production mainly in the international market and promotes research in renewable energy, among other projects.

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