In May 2009 engineering students at the
University of Washington conducted a test of the turbine using 3,4,5, and 6
blades. The video is 15 MB AVI format - right-click
here to download it for smooth video viewing
Watch the turbine operate in a local stream -
click here
, Watch the turbine operate in a University of Washington
boat test. The turbine
is safe for fish of any size.
The turbine blades spin with the water current, generating their force from drag
and no possibility of a slashing strike such as a propeller can cause.
The turbine has “drop-in” installation – it floats and
is held in place by mooring lines or it can be attached to a fixed brace.
It has a cross-axis rotor with a rectangular profile that can custom-fit
most constructed waterways. It is uniquely simple to construct and
maintain.
Unlike dam turbines that are driven by water pressure,
the Hydrovolts “Flipwing” turbine is driven by the hydrokinetic energy in
water flows or currents. This energy increases with the cube of the current
velocity. Increasing the velocity from 2 meters/sec to 6 m/sec produces
about a 30x increase in available energy. The Flipwing turbine can capture
the energy in these flows and convert it to electricity for local use or
sale to the grid.
The USA average price of electricity now is about 11
cents per kilowatt. At that price, the Hydrovolts prototype turbine in a 2
m/sec current can produce about $1400 worth of electricity per year. In a 6
m/sec current the same turbine with a larger generator can produce about
$37,000 worth of electricity per year. This turbine will have a
manufacturing cost of about $5,000-$10,000 depending on the size of the
generator.
When the water flows are available the Hydrovolts
solution is much better than wind or solar power. The Hydrovolts turbine
can make much more energy from a smaller device because flowing water has
over 800 times more energy per area than flowing air. Therefore the turbine
is much less expensive to construct for a given output. Because it can be
dropped in place it has almost no site preparation or construction cost
other than connecting the power cable to an inverter and the power load. In
comparison, both solar and wind power have extensive costs for planning and
permits, site engineering, logistics and construction. Finally, The
Hydrovolts turbine runs as long as the water flows. In constructed
waterways the flows are managed so power generation can be completely
predictable, unlike wind and solar power.
Hydrovolts anticipates producing 3 sizes of turbines.
The smallest will be about the size of a 2-drawer filing cabinet and
satisfies the power needs of the remote ocean sensor device segment. The
medium turbine will be about the size of a car and designed to fit well in
most irrigation canals. The largest turbine will be about 2x2x6 m which
enables it to fit snugly in a standard global shipping container. This
means Hydrovolts can mail a “turbine in a box” to any site accessible to
modern logistics.
The turbine can be installed vertically or horizontally.
It can be floated vertically and attached to a bridge or dock piling.
It can be installed horizontally in canals or rivers.
Small turbines can be deployed in chains to make more
power if there is enough space in the stream. This is suitable for
large canals or large rivers such as the Amazon, which has flood season velocities up to 7
knots (3.5 m/sec) reported by cruise ships and boaters. In the Amazon
the Hydrovolts turbines can be deployed by the thousands, making megawatts
of power. A Gorlov-type turbine has already been demonstrated in the
Amazon by a non-profit organization (picture and link below)
Other large rivers in the world are also suitable for large-scale
deployment of small turbines, particularly in regions with monsoons such as
India and SE Asia. Tidal channels along coastlines are also suitable.
Suitable sites for small turbines include canals and spillways. 
Some regions allow electricity users to sell excess
electricity back to the grid. They can make their electric meters run
backwards and reduce their monthly electricity costs. Or the
electricity can be used on site.
