The company has already achieved a
number of industry firsts including being
the first to deploy a tidal turbine at the
European Marine Energy Centre
(EMEC); the first to connect to and generate
electricity from tidal streams onto
the UK National Grid; and the first to
successfully demonstrate a method of
safely and economically deploying turbines
directly on the seabed.
Simplicity of design
Simplicity of design is at the core of
OpenHydro’s turbine technology. It
features a horizontal axis rotor
with power off-take through a direct drive, permanent magnet generator.
The design has no need for a gearbox or other complicated components requiring regular intervention, and is based on a philosophy of zero maintenance between overhauls. The turbine is manufactured from a combination of glass reinforced composite materials (including Diab structural cores) and steel.
Minimised environmental impact
From an environmental standpoint, the
OpenHydro design minimises the risk to
all forms of marine life in several ways.
Firstly, the rotor blades are retained
within the outer housing and secondly
a large centre provides an exit route
for marine life. In addition there is no
requirement for potentially toxic oils or
lubricants.
Last year, OpenHydro successfully
deployed the first commercial scale
in-stream tidal turbine in the Bay of
Fundy, Canada, on behalf of its customer,
Nova Scotia Power.
The deployment system (that was also
designed by OpenHydro) allowed the
10 meter (33 ft.) diameter, 1 megawatt
turbine to be installed in a single day,
thereby dramatically reducing installation
costs.
www.openhydro.com