Design Article
Marine energy startup raises funds
Anne-Francoise Pele
9/17/2012 8:57 AM EDT
PARIS – Nautricity, a spin-out company from the University of Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK), announced it has received $2.2 million to take its tidal technology forward.
Nautricity said it has developed a marine turbine that can harness energy from the sea. The device is capable of generating 500kW of electricity, the company claimed.
Nautricity said it used fluid dynamics with performance characterization to develop the concept of the contra-rotating tidal turbine (CoRMaT). CoRMaT is a patent pending contra-rotating turbine, suitable for deployment in water depths of 8 to 500m.
CoRMaT uses two closely spaced dissimilar rotors, moving in opposite directions. The first rotor has three blades rotating in a clockwise direction while the second rotor, located directly behind the first, has four blades rotating in an anti-clockwise direction.
According to Nautricity, this doubles the relative rotational speed compared with a single rotor turbine, allowing the turbine to directly drive a flooded, permanent magnet, contra-rotating generator, without a gearbox. The flooded generator is cooled passively by the water, eliminating parasitic energy losses associated with gearbox driven water tight active oil based gearbox-generator cooling systems and power absorbing shaft seals.
Following successful sea trials, the team said it was able to demonstrate that the CoRMaT produces electricity and that the technology is scalable and versatile, making it suitable for grid connected power systems and standalone / distributed power systems such as those for island communities, paper mills, etc.
Nautricity Ltd is a spin-out company formed in 2010 from the University of Strathclyde’s Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU), in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, to generate electricity from tidal flows.
The $2.2 million award was part of the $12.8 million WATERS 2 funding package announced by Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, aimed at helping Scottish firms to secure an increased share of the international marine energy market.
See related links
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------------------------
If you found this article to be of interest, visit SmartEnergy Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of clean technologies. And, to register to our weekly newsletter, click here.
Nautricity said it has developed a marine turbine that can harness energy from the sea. The device is capable of generating 500kW of electricity, the company claimed.
Nautricity said it used fluid dynamics with performance characterization to develop the concept of the contra-rotating tidal turbine (CoRMaT). CoRMaT is a patent pending contra-rotating turbine, suitable for deployment in water depths of 8 to 500m.
CoRMaT uses two closely spaced dissimilar rotors, moving in opposite directions. The first rotor has three blades rotating in a clockwise direction while the second rotor, located directly behind the first, has four blades rotating in an anti-clockwise direction.
According to Nautricity, this doubles the relative rotational speed compared with a single rotor turbine, allowing the turbine to directly drive a flooded, permanent magnet, contra-rotating generator, without a gearbox. The flooded generator is cooled passively by the water, eliminating parasitic energy losses associated with gearbox driven water tight active oil based gearbox-generator cooling systems and power absorbing shaft seals.
Following successful sea trials, the team said it was able to demonstrate that the CoRMaT produces electricity and that the technology is scalable and versatile, making it suitable for grid connected power systems and standalone / distributed power systems such as those for island communities, paper mills, etc.
Nautricity Ltd is a spin-out company formed in 2010 from the University of Strathclyde’s Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU), in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, to generate electricity from tidal flows.
The $2.2 million award was part of the $12.8 million WATERS 2 funding package announced by Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, aimed at helping Scottish firms to secure an increased share of the international marine energy market.
See related links
Predicting next wave to extract max energy
Reliable power is key to industrial productivity
Flexing cable for wind power applications
------------------------
If you found this article to be of interest, visit SmartEnergy Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and news articles with regard to all aspects of clean technologies. And, to register to our weekly newsletter, click here.
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