An Australian company says it has achieved is the world’s most economical wave energy generator yet.

The Bombora Wavepower Wave Energy Converter can extract commercially-viable amounts of energy from relatively small waves, using a V-shaped device that sits on the sea bed close to the shore.

The new devices is shaped to capture the maximum energy of waves closer to shore, where they become concentrated into a thinner, more powerful column of water.

The system is made from a simple, low-cost, lightweight flexible membrane. It has cells on the underside to operate like a giant bellows pump to generate power.

As waves pass over the device it pushes on the membrane, transferring the wave energy to pressurised air inside. From there; pressure differentials generate air flow into a manifold system, which drives a turbine and generator.

Designers say the system differs from other variants in that it sits on the sea-bed directly, and has a passive structure.

Modelling of the new design suggests it will be rated around 1.5MWe, approaching the scale of many onshore wind turbines.

Curtin University mechanical engineering lecturer Andrew King has performed computer simulations to investigate its capabilities.

“This required the membrane and wave field to be simulated using High Performance Computing or super-computering” Dr King said.

“The next stage will be to compare these predictions against the results from tests on scale models of the device.

“This will help to further develop the models to give better predictions of the performance in the next iterations of the design.”

Wave energy is one of the most difficult renewable sources to break into, with hundreds of devices and designs being tested worldwide.

It is an energy system of great potential benefit to the entire plant, and to Australia specifically. As a nation girt by sea, the possibilities for wave-generation power stations are as endless as the Australian coastline.

The low-cost, high-output design under trial in WA could be the key to one of the most consistent forms of completely renewable energy.

More information on the Bombora design is available here.