Having developed good WEC concepts that focused increasingly on hydrofoils aka fins – University College Cork (UCC) had commented that our fins could “double or more the output of some WECs” – some spectacular international WEC failures made headlines and funding WEC development suddenly became next to impossible.

What should we do, throw away all that work, that learning? It was clear that WECs could not be grid-competitive for maybe 30 years at least? Cut our losses and fold – we had added reason to do so for our CTO, co-founder Joss Fitzsimons, had become unwell?

Or was there a sensible alternative, based on our work? Maybe that, we had noted the amazing pull exerted by the fins – forwards and backwards.

Our CTO perceived that might be channelled to produce a massive unidirectional pulling force and he came up with the necessary ‘inventive step’ to achieve that, so we decided to investigate and see if it was worth pursuing. This comprised fins hinged from a spine to produce motion based on the orbital motion of waves. That motion is depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Orbital Motion of waves where fins capture the forward and backward power of the orbit.

Waves transfer energy, not water mass, forward. The energy causes water particles to oscillate clockwise in nearly closed-loop orbits, with a forward vector at each crest and a back vector at each trough.

It really works – V1 of the design

To investigate we prepared a 1:20 scale model for tank test at UCC’s LIR National Test Centre. To our delight it delivered ‘rectified’ or unidirectional pulling power, with an amazingly high ‘bollard pull’ or towing force.

Note, in open sea towing, a 50-tonne bollard pull is acceptable for towing barges, smaller cargo ships, or vessels for rescue. When scaled 'FS' – to full size using the industry’s usual Froude numbers, this model delivered without any optimisation a remarkable 200 tonnes at a wave height of 8m and 10-second period.

There was useful pull from speeds of one knot upwards and the model was unscathed at the 10m maximum wave test height obtainable at the LIR centre. The speed expected from the orbital motion typically lies between 1 and 3.5 knots (2 to 7km/hr walking pace). A terrific bonus was that the forces gave positive feedback – the stronger the seas the greater the corresponding bollard pull.

Can it be commercial?

This seemed to offer valuable properties so we applied for a patent to protect it while we would investigate further: it might be valuable but was it just a solution looking for a problem? – further development with examination of the marine market was required. 

Figure 2: Part of Jospa’s first patent application for a ‘tug’ pulled by Orbital Motion of waves.

We could see very few accessible opportunities for it. There was a feeling, that proved very naïve, that as it could slash costs and eliminate pollution, it would be rapidly taken up – as so-called green shipping – for towing of all kinds of vessels.  

Pulling large vessels, solely where longer voyage duration, perhaps needing more such vessels to be used, was not mission critical – ores, bulk low-cost cargoes – completely unrealistic.  

Experienced seafarers know just how unlikely this was, doubly so as an early market entry point. Other uses arising included the 'tow-an-iceberg-from-Antarctica-to-Arabia to provide meltwater' proposal that emerges occasionally in Saudi Arabia or the UAE and was making headlines in the Gulf at that time. Two potentially viable uses remained.

First, 'the ocean cleanup' operation aiming to clear the ocean gyres of plastic pollution. They expressed real interest and, asking to be kept informed of our progress, they made it clear that we would figure only later in their programme. Second, the possibility of mitigating moorings load on floating offshore wind turbine platforms (FOWTs) was also noted.

We recognised that mitigating moorings costs in floating offshore developments – a major part of their costs – was an exciting possibility, particularly as we expected we might optimise it to a 400-tonne bollard pull with positive feedback (the more the load, the stronger the opposing pull). However we felt this must come later in view of the magnitude of the task and the very early stage of FOWTs.

Investigation

During the preliminary market investigation we performed further tests with encouragement from Dr Jimmy Murphy of UCC and staff. Amassing performance data, we had proven a concept that could perform in almost any seas, pulling huge loads with positive feedback at very slow speed, inherently very survivable as only a small part stood proud of the mean sea level.

We believed that we would need a ‘pilot’ towing vessel, albeit very small, powered by PV cells with some battery backup, to steer our 'Jospa tug' in the desired direction – this very small need nonetheless meant we could not claim zero pollution.

The tug itself would not need any external fuel and would be unmanned – a totally disruptive technology in cost performance and pollution. It could travel almost equally well into or with waves, but turning to reverse direction would require a very large slow circle. While this was exciting, we lacked uses we might immediately target

Figure 3: Early 5m long test model V1 August 2021.

Changes

Sadly our CTO Joss Fitzsimons had to bow out in 2022 due to ill-health (he passed away at a relatively young age just before Christmas 2024. An extraordinarily gifted and versatile engineer, vital to Jospa, his legacy lives on; some of his inventions are already in use worldwide. a resounding Jospa success will also honour his efforts).

To replace Joss quickly was essential. Luckily we knew somebody who could assume the role. Brendan McGrath had shown great interest in the concept of the tug. Interest translated to involvement and McGrath became CTO and more recently CEO as I was ‘promoted’ to chair.

A crucial appointment, he has great skills in machine design and use of CAD, had trained as a boatbuilder and served 15 years at sea with proven management experience.

During a handover test between Joss and Brendan, the latter had noted some issues, and believed their solution might also rectify a weakness of the tug as it stood, namely the continuing need for the ‘pilot vessel’ up front. This small vessel also added complexity and risk, not to mention a probable capital cost of €200-300,000. We could now recover momentum.                                                                                                   

Upgrading the technology to V2 is a real game changer

Figure 4: V2 shows fin actuators and fins.

Our new CEO had a vision of an improved more controllable design, V2, that would greatly expand the uses and benefits of the tug. As this took shape the function of key components was tested.

Finally a new model was built, remote radio control was added and it was bench-tested before being placed in the main tank at UCC’s 'LIR National Test Centre'. These additions were a transformation, a game changer: their importance cannot be overstated.

The model could now start, stop, reverse within seconds, move sideways, and yaw, still with amazing bollard pull and with/into waves ability. Remote control was added that can, as we progress readily, be translated to satellite control at full scale.

And there was more – the design now has combinations of three standardised modules – a steering module up front, a power module, and a controls/sensors module. This conveys tremendous versatility, lending itself to series- or even mass-production as ‘vehicles’ for different uses can be programmed by simply varying the numbers and combinations of modules.

The fins in each module can be set at chosen angles for varied conditions, and feathered in both forward or reverse directions. Settings can be varied while in operation.

An extremely useful result is that when modules are set to oppose each other this enables maintaining 'dynamic position' (DP) over ground. This feature opens many use possibilities with major USPs and may prove to be the most useful functional capability of all – a search will reveal to the reader at least 12 areas of application, with subsets, for this attribute alone. At this time we applied for patent no three, which is advancing well.

What is the market?

What we have now is clearly described as a USV 'unmanned surface vehicle'. This market divides into two sections: (i) Engine-powered, fast, competitively priced, sensor carriers, with fairly short mission duration (I include battery-powered here due to their limited duration). The Irish company OceanX that has raised follow-on finance of about €150m within the last nine months is a very successful example of this type. (ii). Long-duration mission (a year or more) that must rely on renewables. These use wave heave-and-pitch, or sail.

Some are faster than us, and there are benefits we can offer that no other can – the table below shows what these are. The US co 'Liquid Robotics', acquired by Boeing in 2017 for $300m is closest to our technology. 

Figure 5: OR-CA V2 shows the fins and communication module with PV panels.

The V2 version of the V1 tug is named 'OR-CA'”. OR-CA eliminated the need for a pilot tug, so now enjoys 100% green zero fuel and zero pollution credentials (some PV panels and battery capacity are carried for control power). The OR-CA USV retains huge towing power. 

Some renewables competitors like Ocius and Ocean Aero can achieve speeds greater than five knots by using additional propulsion.

More about the unmanned market

Readers will be familiar with the widespread use of ‘drones’ in the defence of Ukraine – thousands as UAV’s (aerial drones), with far smaller numbers as USVs – fast unmanned sea drones remotely guided by operators to strike and sink vessels on the Black Sea.

But If you look farther, you will find that the vast majority of such USVs are in peaceful use mainly for data gathering and services throughout the oceans, around oil platforms, wind turbine installations, ocean observations relating to climate change, ocean fish stocks/ mammals/ food.

Figure 6: Steering module at front is split in two independent halves.

The OR-CA wave-powered USV stands out among its competitors due to its unique combination of high payload and towing capacity, modular scalability, and specialised features like wave-propelled dynamic positioning and surface anchoring.

While other USVs offer advantages in speed or hybrid propulsion methods, OR-CA excels in endurance, environmental sustainability, and operational capabilities in wave-rich environments.

OR-CA is 'dual-use', ie it has both civil and military/security. In the former, it reduces the costs of data collection by minimising staff particularly in remote areas where they must be rotated.

In military passive (ignoring the very different fast USVs that can be used as offensive weapons), they also offer big cost savings, and not placing personnel in harm’s way is another key military benefit.

It is nearly impossible to conjure up an offensive use for OR-CA: the configuration for security and for military passive are identical, this is so obvious that no EU restrictions other than customer acceptability would be expected. Table 1 gives a short list of uses.

Some examples to show the USPs of OR-CA – in security would be for drug interdiction – imagine a line of OR-CAs extending out to sea due west from say Baja California to detect surface and submarine smuggling of drugs and people from Central and South America to fulfil the ambitions of President Trump.

Another is placing them out in the Irish ‘western approaches’ to detect interference with or snooping on our international connection assets at a fraction of the capital cost and of the operating costs of traditional vessels. 24/7, no crews, no fuel, no crew rotation. Dare we mention the coastlines of Canada 200,000km or Australia 26,000km? 

Figure 7: Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone, one of the largest in Europe, covers 880,000 sq km, more than 12 times our land area. These 'western approaches' contain many vital Irish and European power and communication cable assets that OR-CA could monitor 24/7 at a fraction of any other solution. It  could also carry ROV’s for underwater- and UAV’s for aerial- surveillance.

OR-CA in these kinds of duty might be deployed in DP mode, or permitted to ‘wander’ according to a programme, or randomly, making it more difficult to detect and avoid by radar or sonar.

Used to tow an array of sensors – often necessary as sensors should be situated deep to pick up intruder noise – the required bollard pull is high as the array will be deployed at a considerable distance and at depths of > 50m, ie under the ‘thermocline’ where wave water and non-moving water meet causing multiple refractions so that connecting cables are essential (as opposed to a radio connection). 

Figure 8: The OR-CA Surface Anchor ‘assistance’ solution for FOWT moorings and anchoring  needs some explanation as it may not be obvious. The market is expected to be immense and worldwide, but FOWT moorings and anchoring  construction costs are very concerning – estimated as at least 15-25% for Electricity and 20-30% for H₂. There are reputedly more than 70 novel systems or improvements being promoted. The OR-CA is one of these and will be absolutely unique – pulling against seas forces, with positive feedback, the pull is greatest as the load rises – they can offer a surprising number of ‘fringe benefits in maintenance, inspection, replacement time and costs, in insurance and fail-safe. Not a USV as such, space precludes detailing it here, but the  technology is identical with different programming. Future solutions may well combine two or more novel ideas, and H₂, in deeper offshore, will be particularly receptive. 

Note: OR-CA cannot of itself detect anything, that duty falls to an array of sensors. OR-CA will be fitted out with the sensors, instruments, detectors and protections chosen by the customer.

In the above, and applications such as the Ocean Cleanup, OR-CA claims its full title, 'The OR-CA platform (Orbital Robotics–Clean Automation)' is a wave propelled, unmanned surface vessel (USV), highly scalable and sustainably powered for large area, comprehensive data acquisition. Harnessing 100% of its energy from wave and solar, marine operations include security surveillance, environmental data gathering, towing and dynamic surface anchoring.   

Author: Patrick Duffy is chair of Jospa.