BLACKFISH SECURES C-DART WES STAGE 2 PROJECT

Blackfish are very pleased to have been selected by Wave Energy Scotland to continue the development of C-DART – our quick connection system for both mooring and electrical connections.

Blackfish successfully passed through the competitive stage gate with a strong all-round proposal for the continued development of the C-DART technology.

Blackfish will work with our partners Skua Marine, Morek Engineering and ETA (Engineering Technology Applications) over the course of the nine-month project to take the original concept to the next level. Both numerical and physical modelling will be used to show the feasibility of the C-DART concept and marine operational procedure in dynamic sea conditions.

As a technology, C-DART uses novel geometry in and around the waterline to eliminate the use of divers, ROVs and over-side working, which ultimately facilitates safer marine operations that can be conducted in larger sea states. To date the device has been developed for floating wave energy devices and throughout the course of the next nine months this development will continue, as well as demonstrating applicability to floating tidal energy platforms.

C-DART employs a novel method of catching and connecting a horizontal surface mooring hawser and electrical jumper to the offshore buoy, using conventional workboats. Disconnection is achieved with a separate retrieval towline, using a similar catch and connect method. The process is not reliant upon divers, ROVs or offshore lifting, and does not require the close interaction of boats, WECs or other floating bodies. The C-DART system operates without the use of actuators, stored energy, complex mechanisms or backup power, thus maximising life, reliability, and availability.

Visit the Wave Energy Scotland website for more information.