Objective
The project focus on enabling competitiveness and internationalisation of the large European renewable energy technology sector mainly dominated by SMEs, who has 1/3 of the global market, which is worth more than EUR5Bn. However, the SMEs in the European RET sector are loosing competitiveness compared to its non- European rivals due to: innovative developments outside Europe; a weak European domestic market; as well as environmental and legal constraints. An attempt to make use of the renewable energy in ultra-low-head streams, a resource insofar unexploited, by employing a vertical axis water turbine with adjustable but pre-programmed foils has shown promising results, but simultaneously identified some technical limitations that has to be dealt with before the concept can be industrialised to its potential, mainly sub-optimal efficiency and energy outtake and high maintenance costs due to vibrations. Our idea is to develop cost-effective Darrieus type vertical axis water turbine efficiently exploiting a minimum of 84,3 per cent of the theoretical available energy to be placed in ultra-low head streams to increase the European production of renewable energy thus reducing the import and consumption of fossil fuels. With:
A novel design of a highly efficient, hydrodynamicaly stable, scalable and submersible vertical axis water turbine with adjustable sturdy foils, with an installed capacity of minimum 200 kW incorporating:
An innovative, autonomous and efficient constellation of a self-optimising pitch control unit, an embedded sensor configuration and drive motors facilitating real time fine incremental angle-adjustments of the foils up to a torque of 1000 NM, at a precision of 0,5 degrees relative to the foil carrier, at a delay of maximum 0,1 ms, based on sensing of pressure by transducers at a range of 0-100 mbar, thus controlling the speed, avoiding vibrations and optimising the energy outtake of the turbine
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energy
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
Call for proposal
FP6-2003-SME-1
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Data not availableCoordinator
VOLLEN
Norway