User:Baker.mic1/verdant power

Verdant Power Ltd. is a privately held renewable energy technology company specializing in research and development of tidal power and hydroelectric energy systems. Their primary technology is a Free Flow Kinetic Hydropower System which produces electricity from tidal and river currents. It consists of an underwater turbine, similar in design to a typical wind turbine. Projects can be scaled using any number of turbines to increase total power production of the tidal farm array. Unlike more traditional hydroelectric technologies, this design does not require a dam to be built in the waterway. Verdant Power is one of very few companies who have demonstrated successful implementation of tidal current technologies on a significant scale.

Founded in 2000 in New York, New York, Verdant Power currently has three projects in various stages of development in North America. Their most well known is the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project operating in the East River in New York City. The company has plans for two other projects in the future: the Cornwall Ontario River Energy (CORE) project in the St. Lawrence River in Cornwall, Ontario, and the NPS-KHPS project, a demonstration in coordination with the U.S. Navy to take place in Puget Sound in Washington State. Currently the RITE project has finished two stages of prototype designs and awaits approval for commercialization and production of a 1 megawatt (MW) tidal farm. The CORE project will be developed on a larger scale with an estimated capacity of up to 15MW and will be Verdant Power’s first demonstration in a strictly river current setting.

Technology


Verdant Power’s underwater turbines are powered by the energy of passing water currents. The turbine blades capture this energy, and their spinning motion is used by a generator to produce electricity. Three blades (5 meters in diameter for the RITE project) spin about an axis which is parallel to the flow of water. They rotate slowly at approximately 32 rpm in the average 2 m/s current. The front of the turbine is fitted with a wing, and the machine is mounted on a platform which can rotate. This design ensures that the blades are always aligned with the direction of water flow. In tidal settings where the current changes direction with incoming and outgoing tides, this function is particularly useful. The same basic design will be used for all of Verdant Power’s current and future projects. However, minor adjustments in size of the blades and the generators will be made for various projects to maximize power production in differing aquatic currents.

RITE
The RITE project was initiated in 2002 as Verdant Power’s first undertaking as a company. Located in New York City’s East River adjacent to Roosevelt Island, the project is currently awaiting approval for its third production phase which will send RITE into commercial scale power production.

History
In the first two stages of production, Verdant tested and demonstrated its technology. Phase 1 started in 2002 and consisted of development and testing of a prototype design. In 2006, the company installed its first turbine in the East River as part of their phase 2 demonstration. In this stage, six turbines were installed and tested throughout 2008. However, engineers had difficulty producing a turbine which would withstand the strong force of the tidal currents. In the first design, blades were constructed from fiberglass, but they broke off when the turbine was installed in the water. A stronger second design used aluminum and magnesium. Although it held up for a few months, it eventually broke down when the hub connecting the blades collapsed. Finally, a design manufactured from a tougher aluminum alloy was able to withstand the strong currents and produce electricity for a nearby supermarket and parking garage. The final optimized design is also smaller and features less moving parts. During the testing phase the turbines delivered 80 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity and accumulated 9,000 combined hours of operation.

Future Developments
With the completion of phase 2, Verdant Power has moved to apply for their commercial license for the RITE project through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the agency responsible for hydropower oversight. Verdant expects to receive its license in early 2010 for the beginning of the phase 3 build out. Initially it will consist of a 30 turbine array with a 1 MW installed capacity. The company also has preliminary plans to develop the west channel of the River where as much as 4 MW could be supported. Deeper waters there would allow for larger turbine blades and generators. Fully expanding the RITE project in the East River would involve a total of 300 turbines and 10 MW of power. It is anticipated that the project will be completed by 2012.

CORE
The CORE project is based in Cornwall, Ontario, and will utilize the constant flow of the St. Lawrence River. Initial planning and testing started in 2007. CORE will utilize the same basic technology developed by the RITE project, eliminating the need for an extensive research and development process. The project will therefore progress more quickly with only two phases: the first will be dedicated to evaluation and testing and the second to commercialization. Verdant Power estimates that as much as 15 MW of power could ultimately be produced at the location. The project has received $2.2 million in funding from the Ontario Government’s Innovation Demonstration Fund.

NPS-KHPS
The NPS-KHPS project is a technology demonstration project being conducted by the U.S. Navy in Puget Sound, Washington. The U.S. Congress directed the Navy to study the potential use of kinetic hydropower technology in the Sound and provided funding as well. The project will collect environmental and operational data and will conclude with an in-water test of up to one year followed by complete removal of the system.