The world’s first engineering test centre aimed at speeding the development of materials and structures for tidal energy and transport is to be built in Fife by a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Babcock International. The £2.4 million FASTBLADE project, to be based in Rosyth, will carry out large-scale accelerated testing of tidal blades using complex forces simulating real environments, limiting the risks for product developers. Engineering researchers will use an efficient hydraulic technology – developed by university spin-off company Artemis Intelligent Power – which will allow structures to be tested significantly faster and using less energy compared with existing technologies. The system will recover energy between load cycles, reducing the cost of testing. The facility has received £1.4m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and £1m from the University of Edinburgh.
Scotsman 19th March 2019 read more »
