Innovation in Motion with WITT
As we go about celebrating the theme of Invest in the Planet as part of Earth Week, here’s a story of how RS has invested in a small start-up company that has developed a sustainable solution to harvest power from the sea and other water courses.
Championing education and innovation is one of the four goals of our "For a Better World" ESG Action Plan, so when we were approached for sponsorship from an organisation developing a unit that could harvest power from the current, wind and waves, in the sea and other water sources, and turn this untapped kinetic motion into usable power, we definitely needed to take a closer look!?
WITT Energy is a start-up based in the UK and has previously worked closely with our RS DesignSpark engineering platform.?Working on developing their WITT energy units, the group were seeking sponsorship and support to help bring their units to market. They approached RS and we agreed a sponsorship deal last summer. As part of our sponsorship, we provided some of the products that go into the internal workings of the WITT unit, and funding that has helped to produce the first marketable WITT units.??
President of ESG Solutions, Debbie Lentz explains: “We feel it’s important to support great initiatives like WITT, that provide a future for sustainability.? Engineers have always been the catalyst for invention and change and this is another great example of how innovation and engineering have come together to help change our world for the better.�
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For those wanting to understand a little more how the WITT unit works, it is contained within a sealed unit, using two pendulums connected to a flywheel to generate electricity. Movement causes the pendulums to swing, and they are attached to a shaft that then turns a flywheel in one direction. The flywheel is connected to a generator, which produces electricity. The unit harvests chaotic motion, turning it into usable power. No other device captures energy from all six degrees of motion. Where most energy harvesting devices are taking up-and-down or side-to-side motion, the WITT takes all six degrees and turns it into usable power.?
The WITT unit has recently passed open water testing and has now been confirmed as fit for purpose. WITT are currently in talks with various local and international governments and agencies to hopefully interest them in this sustainable solution to harvesting untapped energy.?
So, remember, if (and when!), these WITT units go on to help solve some of the world’s big energy and power challenges, RS was there right from the very start!