The Renewable Energy Source - Tidal Height Change
THE SPC TIDAL ORGANISATION OFFERS A NEW CONCEPT UTILISING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO HARNESS RENEWABLE TIDAL ENERGY TO PRODUCE ON DEMAND GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY FOR IN FEED TO THE NATIONAL GRID.
The Design Objectives may be split into
two groups as follows:
1. The collection and storage of renewable energy drawn from tidal rise and fall movement such as occurs in the following situations:
2. Operational necessities:
Key to such a realisation is the development of the Static Pressure Converter (SPC)
The SPC theory was developed by one of the authors during a period of 22 years in Bern University, Switzerland. The fundamental research was aimed at throwing light on some of the pathological states affecting the cardiovascular system. In 1999 a University technology transfer was carried out and a new company founded so as to exploit some of the practical aspects of the research. The new company had amassed more than 140 full patents by 2009. The new devices, tested during long periods, included deep well pumps, seawater desalination, water purification, high pressure hydraulic pumps, and energy extraction from water currents.
Many SPC units have been built and tested during the development phase of this project. Recent testing of the latest prototype SPC has produced significant improved characteristics. This currently shows efficiency between 25% and 30%; it is expected that a higher efficiency should be achievable. The concept of using this device within a closed hydraulic circuit facilitates the design criteria of this project.
Documentation for the project is available in the first three papers below which may be downloaded by using the download
links below:
1. Brief Description
2. Concept
3.
SPC Characteristics
4. Confidentiality Agreement
SPC hydraulic efficiency:
Test rig measurements have been made comparing the hydraulic output with that of the centrifugal pump hydraulic power input. The resulting measurements are referred to as the SPC's hydraulic efficiency. The typical hydraulic efficiencies achieved on the test rig lie between 25% and 30%.
These results pertain to an SPC whose external dimensions are those of a cylinder 20mm in diameter and 300mm long. The smallest internal diameter is 2.5mm, and as such, the SPC could be made substantially slimmer. This SPC is one of a number of designs that the author has made himself and whose manufacturing precision is not optimal.
The small capacity designs chosen for testing in the test rig result from practical and financial considerations. Larger capacity SPC units require more powerful pumps and increased diameter feed lines leading to greater financial investment. The scale up of the SPC is already a proven feature. A hundredfold increase in power output is achieved with a geometric increase of ten in the smallest internal diameter. Experiment suggests that the larger SPCs are more efficient
1969 to 1974, the author worked as an R&D engineer for the Swiss companies Ciba and Ciba-Geigy. A period in New Zealand working on new business ventures for British Petroleum awakened the author’s interest to a broader range of problems. An offer to carry out fundamental research in Bern University Medical Department was accepted in 1977. The research focus was on the mechanics of human blood flow, cardiovascular disease and the low energy consumption of the human heart. This research appeared to be ill-served by classic fluid dynamics. The author created a new theoretical concept which led to a number of plausible explanations of hitherto unexplained medical observations as well as offering a description of pipe flow turbulence. The author then went on to apply the new concept. Included in these experiments was a simulation of the pumping of liquid in tall trees, extreme short term high pressure development using a low pressure pump, and exposure of the non-Newtonian character of human blood. The first patents were accorded in 1985. The author cofounded in 1999 a Swiss university technology transfer company so as to apply aspects of the new concept industrially. In 2004 the company was awarded both a Swiss Technology Award and the Swiss Energy prize. After retiring in 2009, the author developed SPC technology which has application in reverse pumping, energy extraction, seawater desalination, multiphase well and line pumping, and contaminated water purification.
A wealth of experience is brought to the project by Peter Smith. Peter was employed by the UK Government for 40 years until 2003 as a qualified telecommunications engineer, with various secondments via the United Nations and ICAO to the Governments of New Zealand, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, and Somalia plus secondments to Pan Am working in The Sultanate of Oman. For the 10 years up to 2003 Peter set up and ran a partially self-funding department of 25 staff, providing engineering support via call off contracts to the whole of the Ministry of Defence. Besides providing a wide range of engineering specialisms the key to the success of the department was the establishment of innovative contracts which entailed much UK Government Contractual work associated with the design and implementation of secure networks and communications installations. More recently Peter has set up and run his own successful business until its sale in 2014.
Full Patents registered
Years in Development
Awards Won
Recent testing of the latest SPC prototypes have led to the SPC Tidal concept. This is depicted graphically below and further detailed in the documentation set available for download.
You may contact us by following the links below
Peter 07802 661489
info@spc-tidal.co.uk
Located in the United Kingdon
SPC-Tidal reply:
The upper limit stated above, which is not based on the full tidal potential, is unlikely to be achieved as it pertains to assumed machine efficiencies of 100%. SPC-Tidal believe that 20% of the stated value, namely 5kWh/day per 1000tons displacement and 1m tide, may be achievable.
SPC-Tidal reply:
The energy availability from tidal height change may be split up into a number of distinct contributions as follows:
1. The lowest order is associated with a straightforward potential energy change resulting from the vessel changing its absolute height relative to the datum level.
2. The second order energy contribution stems from the speed with which the height change is achieved.
3. The third order energy level refers to the acceleration imparted to the vessel. As an example, wave motion will cause even a very large vessel to bob up and down.
4. The fourth order energy level is associated with tidal currents.
These contributions are arranged in the order 1 to 4 as a reflection of the technical difficulty associated with their energy extraction. The conventional physics estimation of Question A takes into account only contributions 1 and 2. The tidal pumps operate principally on the first two energy order contributions. The contribution three, which could on occasion be massive, is not accommodated for in the present concept. However, it is envisaged that once the tidal pump concept is proven, an elegant modification may be introduced so as to profit from this acceleration contribution.SPC-Tidal reply:
The analysis leading to the categoric NO is based on a “green fields” site evaluation. SPC-tidal proposes the use of existing infrastructure and incorporates storage as an essential ingredient. The immediate conversion of tidal power to electricity is a flawed solution as tidal power should not be considered as a baseload energy source. It can be used to contribute to peak load requirement.
The SPC-Tidal concept is designed to draw mechanical work from docked vessels at any time of the day or night. This work is stored in freshwater reservoirs at a convenient height or introduced directly into the pressurised water supply system. At peak load requirement the stored water is released to the electric power generation turbines.
Existing infrastructure such as water reticulation to households and industries is fairly energy intensive as the supply has to be pressurised. A substantial part of this pressurisation can be achieved by direct application of the SPC-Tidal concept. During peak load requirement, thermal stations often have to be put into the overload phase and/or reserve thermal stations powered up. With SPC-Tidal power contributing to peak load operation, a substantial capital investment economy may be achieved. These two considerations inherently imply the potential to create a new profit making industry.
Tidal power distinguishes itself as a renewable energy source from the conventional such as wind and solar by the fact that it is ever present and not dependent on the caprice of the weather. A very powerful plus resulting from this fact is that installed tidal power generating capacity does NOT require a backup thermal station so as to guarantee supply. This point alone may be qualified by relatively large capital cost gains.
The SPC-Tidal view is that the answer may be an emphatic yes.
SPC-Tidal reply:
The large vessel may be viewed as a work reservoir when rising and falling on the tide or during loading and unloading. The tidal pump is not dictated by the size of the vessel but by the capacity to convert a creeping linear motion into a rotation of the order of 150RPM. Once adequate gearing up has been realised, it is then a question of how much torque can conveniently be associated with this specified rotation. It is a fact that as the torque requirement increases, so does the material strength requirement of the individual tidal pump components. From an economic point of view, there is probably an optimal size that will lend itself to mass production techniques. It then becomes a simple question of multiplying a number of tidal pumps associated with a given vessel so as to extract more power from the said vessel.
SPC-Tidal reply
The scale up of the tidal power pumping system maybe split up into a number of options as follows:
a. Many modular pumps
b. More expensive larger capacity modular pumps where space is a premium
c. Combining small and large units operating on the same vessel.
When installing the tidal pumps it is necessary to estimate the range of vessel sizes that will dock adjacent to the pumps. A large pump cannot be driven by a small vessel, but a small pump can be driven by a large vessel.
SPC-Tidal reply
The principle unknown with the present concept is what degree of gearing up can be realistically achieved.