1. J W Phillips, Embley Energy Ltd, UK
5.0
Laminated Reinforced Concrete Technology for the SPERBOYTM  Wave Energy Converter
A Tucker, J M Pemberton, D T Swift-Hook and J M Swift-Hook, AquaBase Construction Ltd /Trafalgar Marine, UK
J W Phillips, Embley Energy Ltd, UK

2. What is SPERBOYTM? An oscillating water column wave energy converter
Embley Energy Ltd – Marine Energy Challenge
Building on the outcome from the MEC
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

3. The SPERBOYTM Project
Sponsored by the Carbon Trust and nPower Juice Fund
OVERALL AIM: To investigate the advantages of using concrete for the SPERBOYTM structure
An outline design for manufacture of the vessel using laminated concrete technology
Test results on panels of concrete confirming its suitability
Performance and cost predictions leading to a cost of generation
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

4. Conventional concrete
18mm plywood board
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

5. Laminated Concrete 9mm plywood board
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

6. Depth of cover Conventional reinforced concrete
50-75 mm
Standard reinforced concrete in a marine environment mm
Laminated ferro-cement
2-3 mm
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

7. Brief history of reinforced concrete in a marine environment
The oldest known ferrocement watercraft:
A dinghy built by Joseph-Louis Lambot
in Southern France in 1848.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

8. 1860’s – ferro-cement canal barges built in Europe
1890's – Carlo Gabellini
Barges and small ships out of concrete
Elaborate lamination of rod netting, wire mesh, and trowelled mortar
The most famous of his ships was the Liguria
Beginning in the 1860s, ferrocement barges were built in Europe for use on canals. Around 1896, an engineer in Italy named Carlo Gabellini built barges and small ships out of concrete. He used a ferro-concrete procedure to make hulls that were an elaborate lamination of rod netting, wire mesh, and trowelled mortar. The most famous of his ships was the Liguria.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

9. 1908 – 1914:
Larger ferrocement barges in Germany, UK, Holland, Norway, & California
The remains of the Violette (1919), can be seen at Hoo Marina, Chatham, Kent.
April 12, 1918: US President Woodrow Wilson approved construction of 24 ferrocement ships for war
Only 12 under construction by November 1918
None completed by the end of the war
Eventually completed and sold to private companies
Between 1908 and 1914, larger ferrocement barges began to be made in Germany, United Kingdom, Holland, Norway, and California. The remains of a British ship of this type, the auxiliary coaster Violette (built 1919), can be seen at Hoo Marina, Medway, Kent.
On April 12, 1918, US President Woodrow Wilson approved the Emergency Fleet Corporation program which oversaw the construction of 24 ferrocement ships for the war. However, when the war ended in November 1918, only 12 ferrocement ships were under construction and none of them had been completed. These 12 ships were eventually completed, but soon sold to private companies who used them for light-trading, storage, and scrap.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

10. Maunsell Sea Forts Thames estuary air defences built 1941-42
Guy Maunsell
Built in , the Maunsell Sea Forts were small fortified towers built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries during the Second World War to help defend the UK, named after their designer, Guy Maunsell.
They were decommissioned in the late 1950s and later used for other activities. One became the Principality of Sealand; boats visit the remaining forts occasionally, and a consortium called Project Redsands is planning to conserve one at Redsand.
Picture: 2009
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

11. Mulberry harbours: Phoenix Caissons
In Europe, ferro-cement barges (FCBs) played a crucial role in World War II operations, particularly in the D-Day Normandy landings, where they were used as part of the Mulberry harbour defences, for fuel and munitions transportation, and as floating pontoons. Some were fitted with engines and used as mobile canteens and troop carriers.
Some of these vessels survive as abandoned wrecks in the Thames Estuary and at Portland (picture)
1944
Portland, 2010
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

12. Powell River breakwater, British Columbia
Ten of the concrete ships built during WW I & II are known to still be afloat, forming a massive floating breakwater on the Malaspina Strait in the city of Powell River in British Columbia, Canada.
Constructed to protect the logging pond of the Powell River Company pulp and paper mill.
Of all the concrete ships built during World War I and II, only 10 are known to still be afloat. These ships form a massive floating breakwater on the Malaspina Strait in the city of Powell River in British Columbia, Canada.
Constructed to protect the logging pond of the Powell River Company pulp and paper mill .
While nine of these ten ships were built during the Second World War, the tenth ship, the S. S. Peralta, is the last remaining WWI concrete ship afloat.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

13. Troll A Platform Built 1991-95 656,00 tonnes 472m high 303m below
sea level
169m above
Deployed 1996
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

14. Chutzpah – floating home
Laminated concrete was used by Aquabase Construction in 2004 for the construction of the flotation units for CHUTZPAH, a 260m2 two storey Canadian house now afloat on the River Thames at Tagg’s Island, Hampton
The house is designed and engineered for a 100-year life and the pontoons likewise. The pontoon system is made up of four pontoons, each 11 x 3 x 1.2m, secured together to form a platform 22 x 6m, not only providing flotation but also doubling as underwater accommodation for services and tankage, as well as storage cellars.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

15. This is the finished result.
The inset picture clearly shows the thin panels of the pontoon structure.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

16. Ardeola – floating boathouse
Laminated concrete was used by Aquabase Construction in 2004 for the construction of the flotation units for CHUTZPAH, a 260m2 two storey Canadian house now afloat on the River Thames at Tagg’s Island, Hampton
The house is designed and engineered for a 100-year life and the pontoons likewise. The pontoon system is made up of four pontoons, each 11 x 3 x 1.2m, secured together to form a platform 22 x 6m, not only providing flotation but also doubling as underwater accommodation for services and tankage, as well as storage cellars.
U-shaped concrete pontoon supporting boat-house with accommodation above.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

17. SPERBOY TM Design Vessel/structure: overall height 62m 40m draught
14,363 tonnes displacement
22m above the waterline
Column diameter – inner 22m, outer 27m
Collar diameter – 40m
Water pressure
both inside and outside water column
only outside of hollow buoyancy collar
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

18. SPERBOY TM Construction
Depth of structure creates construction problems
Not strong enough to support itself out of the water
Land factory-based construction not practical
Problems of stability when under tow for deployment
Limits possible marine construction sites
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

19. Proposed solution Artificial Island Annular.
Laminated concrete pontoons.
Capable of supporting final
manufacturing process.
Must be in two or more sections
which can be parted to allow
finished vessel to be removed.
Floating roads connecting to shore.
Must support crawler cranes/other mobile machinery/site facilities (canteen, WC, showers).
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

20. SPERBOY TM Construction
Associated infrastructure
24-hour production
Concrete batching plant
Either on artificial island or close to shore
Steel fabrication sub-assemblies
Concrete pre-casting works
Heavy handling equipment (forklifts, cranes)
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

21. Marine Construction Sites
Loch Kishorn, Scotland built 600,000 tonne Ninian Central in 1978
+ Dry dock
+ Good wharves on shoreline
+ Water depth of up to 50m to south of site
- Remote
- Poor road access
The 600,000 tonne Ninian Central Platform was constructed here in 1978, in the huge dry dock that was blasted out of the rock for the purpose.
To the South of this site there are depths of up to 50 metres. This site is very well sheltered and is free of strong tidal flows. However, it is very remote and the road access is not good.
On the shoreline there are three good wharfs with a depth of around 10m at the quayside. Most materials were delivered by sea.
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

22. Marine Construction Sites
Hunterston, Scotland - in the shadow of Hunterston B nuclear power station
+ Excellent road access
+ 65m long wharf at north corner
+ Water depth of 35-40m to west of site
+ Sheltered by islands west & north
- Open to the south
- Might be constrained by
shipping lane
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

23. SPERBOY TM Costs Overall 7,500 tonnes To build 1 in 12 months:
35 tonnes/day
Dry batching
Machinery
Work teams
Higher production rates
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

24. Price volatility makes costing almost impossible
Oil
Steel
Cement
Sand
Water
Labour
Plant
Machinery
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy 24 24

25. Oil price Steel price (c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy25 25

26. Provide a sensitivity chart
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

27. SPERBOY TM cost of energy
Cost of SPERBOY TM - as above, but must also consider
Maintenance
Life of structure
Decommissioning
Amount of energy - i.e. PERFORMANCE
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

28. SPERBOYTM wave tank trials
Hydraulics and Maritime Research Centre (HMRC), University College Cork
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

29. SPERBOYTM wave tank trials 1
60m Column, 5m wave, 16s period, no Power Take-Off
60m Column, 5m wave, 11.4s period, no Power Take-Off
45m Column, Hs = 5m, Tp = 12.7s
60m Column, 5m wave, 13.3s period, Optimum PTO damping
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

30. SPERBOYTM wave tank trials 2
60m Column. “Storm 3” Hs = 11m,Tp = 13s
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

31. Wave Input Spectrum Wave energy matrix for Benbecula (in kW)
Annual mean wave power – 62 kW/(m of wave front)
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

32. SPERBOYTM performance
Before Power Take-Off (PTO) losses (kW)
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

33. SPERBOYTM energy capture
Device Performance plus energy availability
700 kW Mean Annual Energy Capture, before PTO Losses
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

34. SPERBOYTM The leading dimensions of the enlarged device:
Overall diameter - 40 m
Column internal diameter - 22 m
Column length (below waterline) - 70 m
Overall Mass, including ballast - 17,200 tonnes
SPERBOYTM
Performance curve (RAO) for 70 m col SPERBOYTM ,
1 m wave amplitude
"Annual Average" Wave Input Spectrum at Benbecula
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

35. SPERBOYTM
A 50-device farm will provide the energy used by 42,000 homes 4.7 MW/h per year per home)
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

36. Summary & Conclusions Advantages of laminated reinforced concrete
Long-established experience and recent developments
Use for main structure of SPERBOY™
Methods of construction, locations, and issues faced
Cost estimates 
First unit – will cost £4.2m to build in 12 months
Series production at 1 per year - £2.2m each
Quantity production - £1.3m each
Reductions in commodity and labour costs
Design improvements could bring costs down further
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

37. Next steps The future of wave power The future of SPERBOY™
Re-financed/expanded team
Possible industrial/commercial partners
Summary and Conclusions - including commercial aspects - where Embley Energy and Aqua-base are aiming to go with wave power.   Looking to move to next stage with re-financed and expanded team etc. etc.  Interested in talking with possible industrial partners. 
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy

38. Questions? Prof Donald T Swift-Hook Mr John W Phillips
Summary and Conclusions - including commercial aspects - where Embley Energy and Aqua-base are aiming to go with wave power.  
Looking to move to next stage with re-financed and expanded team etc. etc.  Interested in talking with possible industrial partners. 
Prof Donald T Swift-Hook
Aquabase Construction Ltd/Trafalgar Marine
Mr John W Phillips
Embley Energy Ltd
(c) 2010 Aquabase Construction & Embley Energy