Hales Turbine News

FISH KEEP NET FOR GREAT WHITE SHARKS !!!

2011-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

This fish keep net maybe big enough but has been specially made to catch any small fish or eels that may pass through the ducted Hales Turbine prototype screens while it is being tested on the River Thames. This is just one of the Environmental Agencies special conditions to be met, to comply with the strict regulations to protect the river and its wildlife.
The net has be modelled on a similar unit fitted to the Torcedo water turbine during trials but has been made extra long to allow the net end to be raised and checked frequently during testing to prevent debris harming any fish.
New Datum Torque Sensor equipment has been fitted at the test site and a 24/7 water flow recording started of the Flood and Ebb tidal flows at the site, to help build a picture of the year round flows in this area.

NEW TIDAL TURBINE TESTING PONTOON IN THE THAMES

2011-08-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

After a great deal of work and effort by Davrek Engineering Ltd of Eastbourne, East Sussex to build, the students from the Faculty of Engineering, Kingston University, London to assemble and USM Ltd at Trinity Buoy Wharf to deploy, the new ducted form of the Hales Turbine has been installed on the Thames. We are now ready to start the detailed development testing now that Environment Agency consent for the testing has been granted.
There is still a great deal of work to be done, fitting handrails, walkways etc and operating and test equipment to the turbine but we expect to be testing within the month.

FORWARD TO NEXT STAGE OF TESTING

2011-05-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

With generous help from USM at Trinity Buoy Wharf, the next stage of testing will be greatly helped by the construction of a new catamaran type pontoon complete with a special ducting system that will contain the original Hales Tidal Turbine prototype. This new pontoon will allow turbine testing and development to take place under closely monitored conditions. The Hales Turbine has entered the Environment Agency's Hydroelectric Power Scheme, the first major hurdle towards MCS the ( Microgeneration Certification Scheme). These prototype trials together with the new test tank being built this summer will be used to prove the fish friendly nature of the patented Hales Turbine so it could be used for micro generation in run of river locations, together with Low-Head Archimedes Screw type generators, currently the only other fish friendly design.

SOME GOOD NEWS FOR PROJECT

2011-05-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

As the team work towards testing and developing the Hales Turbine design with the prototype testing, the new Race Track type test tank being built this summer and the detailed computer Fluid Dynamic work being undertake, the good news is that the first of several patent applications on this renewable energy tidal turbine has been granted after five years in the system. New patent applications are being added all the time as testing shows the way forward.

Paul Hales
Director

Hales Energy Ltd

2011-02-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Starting Spring 2011, Hales Energy Ltd will start construction of a new special Race Track Type water flow test tank in East Sussex which will be used for testing new blade profiles and configurations together with various ducting profiles to suit a variety of applications. Specialised torque sensor and water flow equipment will be installed in the tank for testing to a certification level and also aid in preparation for the necessary fish friendly trials this turbine will need to undertake.

Meanwhile, the design work on the one metre prototype will continue at Trinity Buoy Wharf. As well, we shall be carrying out a detailed long term study of the tidal water flows in that area with highly accurate water flow test meters purchased from Omini Instruments which are both doppler and rotational types and can be hooked up to computer software for later analysis.

The new light weight Carbon Fibre Power Blades have been fitted to the prototype and not only lighten the whole device without a loss of strength but look really smart.
Many thanks to Dr Tim Swait, along with Dr Simon Hayes, at the Dept of Engineering Materials, Sheffield University, for arranging these special blades, hopefully the feedback to Tim will help the advancement of composites use in marine energy.

Paul Hales, one of the Directors of Hales Energy Ltd will be working full time at the new test tank location as from April 2011, which should speed up the testing and data collection, with the hope to have results completed by the autumn 2011. Then to design varies sizes of complete micro generation units for the commercial and domestic markets. Research will still continue into designs for ocean current and large scale tidal applications.
Computer Fluid Dynamic modelling has already taken place for the design of a special ducting system to use in conjunction with the Hales Turbine to boost water flows past the blades, this to allow deployment in sub 2.0 m/s flows such as many areas of the English Channel etc.

HALES TURBINE PROTOTYPE ARRIVE AT GREENWICH

2011-01-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

The Hales Turbine testing and display pontoon has arrived at Trinity Buoy Wharf, opposite the O2 Dome, where it will be moored on the inside of Jubilee Pier while it is refurbished and extra equipment fitted.

TWO STEPS FORWARD WITH ONE STEP BACK

2010-11-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

Steady progress in setting up the test equipment on the output shaft of the Hales Turbine prototype with the help of MSC students from Kingston University, also the large drive pulley needed to convert the slow rotation of the turbine to a usable speed on a PM generator has been made and we have been temporarily fitting to work out the vee belt lengths etc.
One really annoying piece of news is that the special low speed mechanical Dyna meter made by Hales Energy Ltd has been stolen out of a private garage in Hampton, London where it was being stored , probably sold to a scrap yard for 50 pence so now a new unit is being built.
Some good news is that the carbon fibre blades had been delivered from the guys from the Department of Engineering Materials of Sheffield University. looking very smart and about half the weight of the ABS plastic blades.
First they have to be tested to make sure they are watertight and to find the amount of buoyancy and then the shafts drilled and sealed for fitting to the prototype.
The English weather is not helping this time of year but always look on the bright side, the snow melt will add to the Ebb tide flows on the river.

HALES TIDAL TURBINE REACHES THE THAMES

2010-11-11T02:01:00.000-08:00

Things are starting to get very busy with the Hales Tidal Turbine Project , the one square metre sized prototype has been completed and a steel pontoon, which has been loaned to the project by John Heath, a specialist boatbuilder from Hampton, London, was refurbished at the Normans Bay workshops before being returned to the Thames at Isleworth , Nr Richmond.
A special deploying frame and rail system had been manufactured by Davrek Engineering, Finmere Rd, Eastbourne, to carry and deploy the prototype turbine and all the test equipment.
Once the pontoon had been refloated on the Thames , students and Rod Bromfield, a Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering, Kingston University have been busy fitting and testing the specialised test equipment to record the performance of the prototype in the tidal flows as part of their course work.

The first trials are already taking place at Isleworth, which is almost at the highest reaches of the tidal Thames, so the speed of the tidal flows are pretty slow, around the 0.5 m/s mark, but enough to test the equipment and method of deployment etc.
On completion of these trials, the complete pontoon and prototype will be moved down the Thames to the Trinity Buoy Wharf, opposite the O2 Dome, where further trials will take place from the Jubilee Pier in an area that has much more powerful tidal flows.
This has been made possible by the generous help and support from Urban Space Management Ltd who run this amazing site and are huge supporters of all aspects of renewable energy and recycling etc.
On completion of the specialised turbine efficency testing an electrical generator and lighting display will be added to the pontoon to show the public that visit the vast range of artistic studios and businesses at Trinity Buoy wharf, or travel by Thames Clipper service from Jubilee Pier, just how tidal energy can be used.

Hales Energy Ltd is also drafting a paper on Methods and Protocols for Testing and Evaluating Tidal Stream Turbine Prototypes , with the grateful assistance of John Jones from Leisurely Learning, a specialised internet service, which will explain the work and methods used for this sort of development and hope it will become a standard for all early stage TST prototype testing.

We hear also that the special Carbon Fibre turbine blades have been completed at the Engineering Materials Department of Sheffield University andthey will be a benefit to the performance and strength of this TST prototype. Hopefully it will also show if carbon fibre is a good material for use in marine energy generators operating in this harsh environment.

Prepared by Paul Hales

Hales Energy Ltd

HALES TIDAL TURBINE ARTICLE IN MAGAZINE

2010-06-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

In the June 2010 issue of the magazine " The Sussex Life" , the Hales Tidal Turbine Project was given a very clear and balance piece on the project. This was part of a main article highlighting green companies based in Sussex.
Hopefully it will awaken interest in the local people to the potential siting a few yards, ( sorry I'm old school trained) metres from our coast.

Another item of news, one of the new government's Secretaries of State for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker MP for Bexhill and Battle , has his constituental office only four miles from this Tidal Turbine Energy Project, and his brief covers wave and tidal energy . Also Mr Charles Hendry, the MP for Wealden District in East Sussex which is only two miles from the Hales Energy Workshops, has also become a Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and is aware of the Hales Tidal Turbine project.
All hopeful signs.

Onwards and Upwards

Paul Hales

The Hales Energy Group

2010-05-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

WELCOME HELP FROM SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY

As the Hales Tidal Turbine Project works towards building the 1KW demonstration turbine planned for later this summer, problems arose in the construction of the four main turbine power blades.

To be able to make these blades which for this turbine are approx one metre high and half a metre wide, it would require some clever design and engineering to produce a blade that is both strong enough to survive the high work loads expected and also be light enough to be at least semi-bouyant if not buoyant.

Davrek Engineering Ltd of Eastbourne designed and made some light weight steel armatures to transmit the power blade load to the Turbine main discs but the Hales Energy Group making this turbine, were having trouble forming a suitable skin for the blade.

Possibly the very cold, damp weather this spring did not help with our efforts top form a clean rolled fold in the 3mm ABS plastic sheets planned for this application.

After several attempts and failures and the waste of expensive material, it was decided a less perfect option was to form the plastic turbine power blade skins in sections with a great deal of adhesive and plenty of shaping etc.

As an alternative option it was also planned to possibly make a plug and former and then make the blade skin from fibreglass.

Failing all that, Davrek Engineering Ltd offered to form a thin alumimum skin for us.

Then out of the blue, The University of Sheffield’s Department of Engineering Materials came to the rescue with an offer to make a set of turbine power blades from the carbon fibre materials that they specialise in.

Dr Tim Swait, a Research Associate at the Engineering Materials Department along with Dr Simon Hayes, a lecturer at the same department were kind enough to give Paul Hales, the Director of the Hales Energy Group a tour of the facility and spend time explaining the properties of carbon fibre composites and the best ways to construct a set of power blades.

Their combine knowledge and insight into the uses of these high performance materials and other forms of composite will help the project greatly as the sizes, profiles and manufacturing requirements become known.

Hopefully the results of the Hales Tidal Turbine with the Sheffield-Power Blades will also produce material information from the trials for the department to widen the application of their materials into this renewable area.

2010-03-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday, 7 March 2010

Spring 2010 Update on Hales Turbine project.

Plans and effort is in hand to manufacture and trial a 1KW Demonstration Hales Tidal Turbine this summer on the River Thames.
Most of the materials are already assembled at the workshops in Normans Bay , East Sussex. On completion the four Power Blades wil be fabricated at present with an ABS plastic skin, a hollow design with air pressure inside to hold their form, but as an alternative the Hales Energy Group is also working on a set made from fibreglass as an option.
The turbine working area will be just over one square metre and will include the small section of Savonius turbine added beneath to assist start up as designed into the 2007 patent as a combination tidal stream turbine.
Several sponsors are helping with this demonstration unit, as well as with materials and engineering we have been loaned a steel pontoon on the Thames to use at the arranged moorings at Richmond.
When the trials are completed and all the adjustments made to reach the best turbine efficiency then hopefully sites further down the Thames and in stronger tidal flows will be found to display the potential of this form of renewable energy,
outside the Houses of parliment would be nice.
The demonstration pontoon will also carry a lighting display to show the output from the turbine.
Hopefully also a visit to the Aluna Project on the Thames, the proposed five storey sculpture/lunar clock to be powered by tidal energy by this prototype will bring attention to both projects.
sponsorship is always needed and welcome.
see www.halesenergy.com for contact details.

Regards

Paul Hales

Hales Energy Group