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Content archived on 2024-06-16

Enabling renewable energy SMEs to develop submersible and cost-effective vertical axis turbines for energy exploitation in ultra low-head streams.

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

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP6-2003-SME-1
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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

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Coordinator

WATER POWER INDUSTRIES AS
EU contribution
No data
Address
Linlandvn. 20
VOLLEN
Norway

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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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Participants (12)

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