|
| |
Osprey Ocean Turbine Progresses Toward Commissioning
A small team of engineers in Cornwall has made a breakthrough with the development of a turbine, called the Osprey, that they claim could solve the commercial viability of tidal power. The Osprey turbine can be used to create electricity offshore at sea or in tidal rivers and inland waterways.
Stumble It!
|
A model of Western Hydro's Vertical Axis Turbine undergoing initial flow tests.
FreeFlow 69 is collaborating with Western Hydro and Rubicon Marine. |
|
|
CORNWALL, UK -- A small team of engineers in Cornwall has made a breakthrough with the development of a turbine, called the Osprey, that they claim could solve the commercial viability of tidal power. The Osprey turbine can be used to create electricity offshore at sea or in tidal rivers and inland waterways.
The Osprey turbine is a vertical axis free flow device which produces power independently or as part of a larger system. It is also environmentally friendly and will not interfere with marine or river life, can be mounted on the sea bed or suspended on pontoons, is bi-directional and will turn the same way in a flooding or ebbing tide.
With the significant advantage that the gearbox and generator are above the water level, it operates effectively in variable depths to
maximize the efficiency of the power available through the tidal cycle, or in differing river heights.
Due to its modular design, a bank of Osprey turbines can be built up and added to in order to generate more power. Power output is expected to be from 1kW up to 5MW in a multiple system.
It is the brainchild of Fowey-based FreeFlow 69 Ltd, research and development consultants in renewable energy, headed by Pat Cooke. The team conceived the unique turbine concept whilst working on design and development work for their offshore Ocean Hydro Electricity Generator
(OHEG), a revolutionary concept using tidal energy to create electricity 24 hours a day.
The exact mechanism of the vertical axis Osprey turbine is presently confidential.
A patent application has been filed.
Following successful testing of a model rotor, a reduced-scale model prototype has been developed to assist in the design of a full-scale prototype, which they expect to build and test this Autumn.
"We are on schedule for testing a prototype of first production model 'Osprey' and validating by a third party before the new
year", said Cooke.
"If this is successful, as we are confident it will be, we intend to manufacture a range of small units for river applications, followed by a range of cross flow turbines for conventional micro hydro plants."
A prototype for an Archimedes screw type version turbine will also be produced for rivers where a weir or leat is available, such as old mill sites.
"There is still some way to go before the Osprey is fully commissioned and starts to generate electricity for the national grid," said Cooke.
"But if the Osprey performs successfully, as we envisage it will, it could play a key role in providing a simple 24-7 green power system possibly in conjunction with a simplified version of our original OHEG concept."
"If everything goes to plan, we then will be looking to set up licensing deals, hopefully in the States, Canada, China, etc."
Able Engineering will manufacture the river turbines and take on the project management of the larger river systems, whilst FreeFlow 69 will act as developer for the larger offshore systems.
Cooke, who is Chairman of Able Engineering as well as leading the FreeFlow 69 team, believes that exploiting tidal power from the sea and rivers can play a significant role in achieving the government's targets for renewable energy.
"It is estimated by the Carbon Trust that wave and tidal power can provide a fifth of the UK's electricity needs," he said.
"The benefits of ramping up investment in tidal power generation would be considerable, providing not only a reliable source of energy, but the opportunity for Britain to be at the forefront of the global market in the same way that Danish companies took an early lead in the wind turbine industry".
"The Osprey turbine could significantly aid the UK in achieving its renewable energy targets, as well as helping to create a lot of new jobs, whilst at the same time contributing to a new green growth in the economy."
Cooke has also recently carried out an initial survey visit to San Francisco in order to investigate potential USA opportunities for the Osprey Turbine.
# # #
SOURCE:
- Adapted from press release from Bird & Moore Ltd, Advertising.
See also
|
|
|
Page posted by Sterling
D. Allan August 17, 2007
Last updated August 26, 2007
|
| |
|
Feed