Water Wall Turbine
The water wall turbine is a water turbine designed for low head hydropower generation which employs hydrostatic pressure differences. It supports bidirectional inflow operation using radial blades which rotate around a horizontal axis. It is suitable for energy extraction from tidal and freshwater currents. For tidal power installations, the turbine operates in both directions as the tide ebbs and flows.
Development[edit]
Water wheels have been used for centuries in a wide variety of configurations. Most designs capture the water's kinetic energy, i.e. energy stored in the water's motion. Lodewyk Botha and Marek Sredzki developed an inflow turbine that would be able to additionally capture water's potential energy in low head applications. The team iteratively designed and tested prototypes of increasing size between 2004 and 2010.[1] Principal patents[2][3] for the technology were registered and published between 2005 and 2011.
The first full-scale water wall turbine project was completed in 2016 by Water Wall Turbine Inc. It features a 1MW power plant and includes a microgrid system. In this deployment, the water wall turbine features a straight flow-to-drive turbine mounted on a self-floating platform. The vessel is 28-meters long and 17-meters wide and weighs roughly 550 metric tons[4]. The project serves Dent Island Lodge in BC, Canada. The deployment demonstrates the technology's ability to power remote communities.[5]
In 2015, a study regarding the modeling and optimization of water wall turbines was conducted by the Canadian Hydraulics Centre of the National Research Council Canada.[6] Independent studies regarding the efficiency and theory of a water wall turbine's operation have also been published.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Theory of operation[edit]
The turbine's bidirectional rotation operates inline with the free current flow. Both potential and kinetic energy are harvested, providing significantly higher energy extraction efficiency than a kinetic energy only approach. This is the principal difference between traditional water wheels and the water wall turbine design. It is this difference that allows a water wall turbine to operate effectively in low head environments. A water wall turbine's large rotating blade structure moves slower than the current, “blocking” the flow. In doing so, it causes head pressure to build up across the turbine, hydraulically propagated over the total vertical submerged blade. The turbine's catamaran-style floats use the Venturi effect to channel and accelerate the useable current. Studies in laboratory conditions have demonstrated that water wall turbines can achieve an efficiency of up to 90%.[11]
All electrical and mechanical components are in closed-containment above the waterline, resulting in a minimal environmental impact to the waterway. Given that the blades are arranged along the horizontal axis and turn slower than the speed of the current, there is little to no risk to fish, sea mammals or their habitats.
Applications[edit]
A water wall turbine may be designed for a wide range of marine and freshwater installations, in tidal zones, rivers, and canals, with its own flotation or on pylons. In contrast to other types of turbines such as Pelton, Francis, and Kaplan, it does not need a high water head or penstock. This makes it applicable in low head environments such as coastal passageways, where tidal currents are strongest. Water wall turbines do not require barrages or catchment ponds and thus have minimal impact on the tidal effect in estuaries, making them suitable for sensitive environments.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "History - Water Wall Turbine". wwturbine.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ↑ US 20070122279A1, "Water Wall Turbine", issued 2006-08-13
- ↑ CA 2546897C, "Water turbine for the extraction of energy from water currents", issued 2006-05-11
- ↑ Wood, Graeme. "Shipyard is rolling along with the tide". Richmond News. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
- ↑ "New tidal energy technology could power remote BC communities". Global News. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
- ↑ Baker, S.; Cornett, A.; Kluijver, M. (2015). "3D Modelling and Optimization of a Hydrokinetic Power Generation Barge". National Research Council Canada.
- ↑ Müller, G. (2009). "Recent developments in hydropower with very low head differences". University of Southampton, UK.
- ↑ Senior, J. (2009). Hydrostatic Pressure Converters for the Exploitation of Very Low Head Hydropower Potential (phd). University of Southampton, UK: University of Southampton.
- ↑ Senior, J.; Saenger, N.; Müller, G. (2010). "New hydropower converters for very low-head differences". Journal of Hydraulic Research. University of Southampton, UK ; Fachbereich Bauingenieurwesen, Germany. 48 (6).
- ↑ Senior, J.; Wiemann, P.; Müller, G. (2008). "The rotary hydraulic pressure, machine for very low head, hydropower sites" (PDF). University of Southampton, UK.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Batten, W.; Müller, G. (2011). "Potential for using the floating body structure to increase the efficiency of a free stream energy converter" (PDF). University of Southampton, UK.
- ↑ Batten, W.; Weichbrodt, F.; Müller, G.; Hadler, J.; Semlow, C.; Hochbaum, M.; Dimke, S.; Fröhle, P. (2011). "Design and stability of a floating free stream energy converter" (PDF). University of Southampton, UK, University of Rostock, Germany.
- ↑ Paudel, S.; Linton, N.; Zanke, U.; Saenger, N. (2013). "Experimental investigation on the effect of channel width on flexible rubber blade water wheel performance". Renewable Energy. University of Southampton, UK, Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany. 52: 1–7. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2012.10.014.
- ↑ Tevataa, A.; Inprasita, C. (2011). "The Effect of Paddle Number and Immersed Radius Ratio on Water Wheel Performance". Energy Procedia. University of Technology Lanna Tak, Thailand. 9: 359–365. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.09.039.
External links[edit]
- Canadian Hydraulics Centre of National Research Council Canada in Ottawa
- Water Wall Turbine Dent Island Tidal Power Generation Project
- Front End Engineering and Design Study (FEED) for the Dent Island Tidal Power Generation Project
- Water Wall Turbine Inc.
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