This paper describes the recent developments of the innovative wave energy converter for off-shore applications named the Seaspoon. It is a wave energy converter (WEC) that harvests the energy content of oceans waves exploiting the circular motion of the water particles, perturbed at the free surface by the action of the wind. The paper describes the recent test results on Seaspoon prototypes, the experimental validation of a CFD model, to be used to optimise the geometry of Seaspoon blades, enabling its future scale-up. The model has been successfully compared against literature data for wave motion and forces against a static body. Then, the model has been compared against experimental integral measurements from the Seaspoon test campaign. In particular, the flat blades tested in the laboratory-scale wave tank showed good agreement with the model predictions. Furthermore, experimental results on concave-type and convex-type blades are shown, demonstrating that the latter is the most promising shape: such blade type will be considered for the future development of the Seaspoon.The test campaign and the simulation studies contributed to identify the best geometrical options to enhance the Seaspoon energy harvesting efficiency as well as adaptability to different sea-states.
