THE UK HAS SET A TARGET OF REACHING NET ZERO BY THE YEAR 2050, A VERY SIMPLE THING TO STATE AS A GRAND SOUNDING TARGET AND GIVEN THAT MOST POLITICAL CAREERS LAST ONLY 10 TO 12 YEARS , IT'S A PASS THE BUCK TO THE NEXT PERSON STATEMENT.
TAKING A LOOK THE UK GOVERNMENT POSITION, AT PRESENT, WHILE BEING LORDED FOR BEING THE FIRST TO SET THE 2050 NET ZERO TARGET THEY THEN FOLLOW THE BIG BUSINESS AND ACADEMIC MODELS OF MORE OFF SHORE WIND, MORE SOLAR , MORE "GREENER" FOSSIL FUELS AND MORE NUCLEAR, WITH POSSIBLY FEW MORE OTHER RENEWABLE SOURCES IF THEY CAN FIT WITHIN THE COST PER MW RANGE REQUIREMENT.
THE RUSSIAN GAS STRANGLEHOLD ON EUROPE HAS HIGHLIGHTED THE OBVIOUS, MAKE YOUR NATION DEPENDENT ON ANOTHER FOR VITAL ENERGY SUPPLY THEN BEWARE THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY THREATEN TO TURN OFF THE SUPPLY, REGARDLESS OF THE REASON.
THE UK IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN IT'S EXPOSURE TO THE PRESENT RUSSIAN GAS RESTRICTIONS, HOWEVER THE LARGE PRESENT DAY ENERGY COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THE OPEN MARKET WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE NATIONS STRATEGIC POSITION OR THE COST OF LIVING INCREASES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THEIR ACTIONS WILL MAKE.
THE UK GOVERNMENT COULD SIMPLY AND QUICKLY CHANGE THE WHOLE ENERGY PICTURE FOR THE NATION, IF IT WILL LISTEN TO THE ENGINEERS FIRST AND NOT THE BEAN COUNTERS.
AS STATED IN PREVIOUS BLOGS, IN THE WORLD OF RENEWABLE ENERGY , THE TWO GREATEST RESOURCES ARE LUNAR AND GEOTHERMAL.
GEOTHERMAL - COUNTRIES LIKE ICELAND SHOW HOW THIS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE CAN BE HARNESSED IF CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.
THE RUSSIAN HAVE DRILLED THE DEEPEST HOLE AT NEARLY SEVEN (7) MILES DOWN BUT THE COST IS VERY HIGH. CORNWALL IN THE UK HAS SOME GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL.
LUNAR - THE GRAVITATIONAL PULL OF THE MOON IS VAST AND PERMANENT, IT VARIES IN STRENGTH IN CYCLES THAT IS KNOWN AND RECORDED OVER THE WHOLE PLANET.
WHEN THIS GRAVITATIONAL PULL ACTS ON THE SEAS AND OCEANS IT CREATES TIDES AND SOME OCEAN CURRENTS, WHICH VARY IN FLOW SPEEDS AND DIRECTIONAL DURATION MAINLY DUE TO DEPTH OF WATER AND COASTAL SHAPE.
THE UK HAS THE BEST COMBINATION OF TIDAL FLOW SPEEDS AND DEPTH OF WATER DUE TO BEING ON THE EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL SHELF, MEANING THE WHOLE EEZ AREA COULD BE HARVESTED AND THE LOCATION, CLOSE TO MAINLAND EUROPE ON ONE SIDE WITH THE ISLAND OF EIRE ON THE OUTER SIDE MEANS WE HAVE THE BEST OVERALL TIDAL FLOW SPEEDS DURING THE TIDAL CYCLE IN THE WORLD.
NOW THE BIG ISSUE :
IF THE TIDAL FLOW POTENTIAL IS SO GOOD AND THE AREA SO VAST, READY TO HARVEST,
WHY ARE WE SO FAR BEHIND BEING CARBON FREE AND HEADING FOR NET ZERO ???.
THE SIMPLE FACT IS THE UK GOVERNMENT IS LEAD IN IT'S KNOWLEDGE OF MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS, MAINLY BY ACADEMIA AND ALSO CERTAIN AREAS OF BUSINESS THAT PROFIT BY JUST PROMOTING THEIR OWN FEW PRODUCTS, BE IT WIND TURBINES, NUCLEAR REACTORS OR SOLAR PANELS AND EVEN THE VERY FEW TIDAL TURBINES ETC, THEY HAVE THE FUNDS AND THE MARKETING TEAMS TO GAIN THE BULK OF UK GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND THIS RESTRICT ANY NEWER OR BETTER FORMS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION/HARVESTING BEING TESTED AND TO ENTER THE MARKET.
A 12 MW OFF-SHORE WIND TURBINE IS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE ( THAT IS THE RATED CAPACITY OF THE GENERATOR- THEY NEVER EVER PRODUCE THAT AMOUNT IN NORMAL OPERATIONS) BUT THEY MAKE GOOD MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THE PUBLIC AND THAT MAKE IT EASY TO MARKET, THE SAME WITH THE PROPELLER TYPE TIDAL STREAM TURBINES, MUCH SMALLER THAN THE WIND TURBINE DUE TO THE GREATER POWER OF WATER FLOW, SO WHY ARE THERE SO FEW OF THEM ?
THE SIMPLE FACT AGAIN IS THE POWERS TO BE IN THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, MAINLY THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY FOLLOW THE USUAL MANTRA STATED ABOVE.
BEIS, IS HEADED BY Rt Hon KWAZI KWARTENG MP. I MANAGED TO CHALLENGE THIS MINISTER FACE TO FACE, TO PUT HIS EXPERTS UP AGAINST MY EXPERTS, TO PROVE THE POTENTIAL OF REACTION TYPE TIDAL TURBINES.
GIVE THE MAN HIS DUE, HE AGREED TO A MEETING IN FEBRUARY 2020 WITH HIS TEAM AND WAS SURPRISED AND INTERESTED IN THE POTENTIAL AND SIMPLICITY OF OUR SYSTEMS, HOWEVER THIS WAS JUST THE START OF COVID PERIOD AND ANY SUPPORT WAS LOST IN THE LONG ROUTE THROUGH THE THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE BEIS.
LETS LOOK AT THE VERY BASIC ISSUES AND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROPELLER (LIFT) TIDAL TURBINES AND HALES (REACTION) TIDAL TURBINES.
PROPELLER TIDAL TURBINES :
AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, THIS SHAPE WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AND PATENTED TO " PROPEL" A VESSEL FORWARDS, HENCE THE NAME.
FROM THE EARLY ALMOST FLAT ANGLED BLADES ON THE PROPELLER ON THE SS GREAT BRITAIN TO THE MODERN FORM ON MANY NUCLEAR SUBMARINES. SEE BELOW,
THE BASIC CONCEPT WAS TO TRANSMIT POWER FROM A ROTATIONAL SHAFT TO A SCREW SHAPE FORM, (THESE ANGLED BLADES OR EVEN A FULL SCREW SHAPES THEN WOULD WIND IT'S SELF FORWARDS THROUGH THE WATER, THE REASON THE PROPELLER IS OFTEN CALLED THE SCREW OR SCREWED PROPELLER.
NOW LETS LOOK AT THE WIND TURBINES, IN THE VERY EARLY TIMES, SIMPLE WIND TURBINES HAD FLAT ANGLE BLADES TO DEFLECT THE WIND FLOW TO ROTATE A SHAFT THEN THROUGH A SIMPLE CRANK TO OPERATE A WATER PUMP OR ON A LARGER SCALE TO ROTATE A STONE FOR GRINDING CORN.
AS ONE CAN SEE THE OLDER FASHION "WILD WEST" TYPE WIND GENERATOR HAD MANY SIMPLE FLAT ANGLED BLADES WHICH OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY TO PUMP WATER ETC, (UNTIL SHOT FULL OF HOLES). THE MODERN LARGE OFF-SHORE WIND TURBINE HAVE INCREASINGLY GREATER AERODYNAMIC FORM TO PRODUCE THE LIFT FACT, THIS IS WHAT CHANGES THESE TURBINES FROM REACTION TO LIFT SOME DESIGNS COMBINE BOTH.
THIS WIND TURBINE BLADE ,JUST THE SAME AS AN AEROPLANE WING INCREASES THE LIFT AND THIS WILL INCREASE BOTH THE ROTATIONAL SPEED AND INERTIA TO PRODUCE GREATER POWER OUTPUT.
THIS IS POSSIBLE IN WIND TURBINES, BECAUSE THE AIR IS COMPRESSIBLE, SO HIGH LIFT FACTORS CAN BE ACHIEVED AND WIND GUSTS ETC HAVE LITTLE EFFECT OVERALL.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE SAME PRINCIPLES AND APPLIED TO TIDAL STREAM TURBINES TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE IN THE NON-COMPRESSABLITY OF WATER WHICH GREATERLY REDUCE ANY LIFT FACTS AND ADDED TO THAT, MARINE GROWTH WHICH CAN BE FAST ACTING ALSO REDUCES THE LIFT PERFORMANCE.
TO PRODUCE SUITABLE PERFORMANCE PROPELLER TYPE TIDAL STREAM TURBINES REQUIRE WATER FLOW AT 2.5 m/s AND ABOVE TO PRODUCE SUITABLE POWER OUTPUTS, BUT THIS THEN PUTS THEIR BLADES AT RISK OF CORROSION DAMAGE FROM CAVITATION AND WORSE, BLADES SHEARING OFF DUE TO THE SURGES OF WATER ( AS IN THE CASE OF SEAGEN TURBINE SITED IN STRANGFORD LOUGH IN 2008). VERDANT WATER FLOW TURBINE IN NEW YORK LOST ALL THEIR BLADES IN THE FIRST PROTOTYPES AND THE HIGHLY EXPENSIVE OPEN HYDRO TURBINE DEPLOYMENT OFF CANADA, LOST ALL IT'S ROTOR BLADES AFTER 14 DAYS DEPLOYMENT.
AT LEAST WITH REACTION TYPE TIDAL STREAM TURBINES, WHICH FOLLOW NEWTON'S 3rd PRINCIPLE OF MOTION - "To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction;". SO THE TIDAL FLOW FORCE PUSHING ON A FLAT LARGE AREA OF BLADES, THAT IS ATTACHED TO A CENTRAL AXIS WILL ROTATE ABOUT THAT AXIS.
THE HALES TURBINE AND OTHER REACTION TURBINES USE THIS PRINCIPLE WITH MODERN MATERIALS AND MUCH R&D TEST TANK AND OPEN WATER TESTING, HAVE A VERY SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE WATER TURBINE THAT GREATLY OUT PERFORMS THE STANDARD PROPELLER TYPE LIFT TURBINE, ESPECIALLY AT LOW VELOCITY WATER SPEED , DOWN TO 1.0 m/s, WATER FLOW SPEED FOUND IN OVER 90% OF UK WATERS.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ?
THE PEOPLE AND SUPPORTERS OF THE HALES TURBINE HAVE SEVERAL TIME OFFERED A CHALLENGE TO THE UK GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A HEAD TO HEAD CHALLENGE, JUST LIKE THEY DID IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN THE ROYAL NAVY NEEDED TO PROVE WHICH WAS MORE EFFECTIVE DRIVE SYSTEM SO JOINED HMS RATTLER, A SCREW PROPELLER FITTED SHIP STERN TO STERN WITH HMS ALECTO, A PADDLE WHEEL SHIP OF EQUAL SIZE AND SIMILAR POWER TO SEE WHICH WAS BETTER, THE HMS RATTLER WON, PULLING THE OTHER SHIP ASTERN AT 2.5 KNOTS.
THIS 1845 CHALLENGE PROVED THE PROPELLER DEVICE WAS MOST EFFECTIVE AT TRANSMITTING POWER FROM THE SHAFT TO THE WATER.THRUSTING.
HOWEVER, A TIDAL STREAM TURBINE OF ANY TYPE IS ABSORBING ENERGY FROM THE WATER FLOW, A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PRINCIPLE.
WHAT IS REQUIRED IS FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE INVESTORS TO FUND A SIMILAR CHALLENGE, CONDUCTED AT EMEC TEST CENTRE IN SCOTLAND WHO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND EXPERTISE, MATCH UP TWO TURBINES, WITH SIMILAR CAPTURE AREAS, ( THE MAXIMUM SWEPT AREA OF THE BLADES) HAVE HIGH GRADE TORQUE SENSOR EQUIPMENT FITTED TO THE TURBINE OUTPUT SHAFTS AND RUN A FULL RANGE OF TESTING AT ALL WATER FLOW SPEEDS POSSIBLE TO SHOWN WHICH TURBINE TYPE IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
THIS TRIAL SHOULD BE DONE IN THE FULL GLARE OF THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN THEN UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT UK RENEWABLE POTENTIAL.
ONCE THIS TRIAL HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AND IT WILL SHOW HOW THE SIMPLE DUCTED REACTION TURBINE IS MORE EFFECTIVE AT ALL WATER FLOW SPEEDS, THEN THE POWER TO BE CAN START TO PLAN TO PROVIDE MOST IF NOT ALL THE UK'S ENERGY NEEDS.
THE NET ZERO CAPACITY CAN BE REACHED THE IF A MORE LOCALISED COASTAL COUNTIES ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE GREATER CONTROL OF INSHORE WATERS, ALLOWED TO ORGANISE AND RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL MARINE GENERATION SYSTEMS.
ONCE NET ZERO IS EASILY REACH THE NEXT TARGET IS TO RAMP UP THIS ENERGY PRODUCTION SO PROVIDING THE POWER FOR HYDROGEN MANUFACTURE AND STORAGE USING ELECTROLYSIS, ALLOWING FOSSIL FUEL USE TO BE ENDED.
WHY BOTHER WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD IS PRODUCING THE BULK OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE DUE TO HIGH OLD FASHION COAL AND OIL BURNING ?
THE UK CAN SHOW THEM THE WAY FORWARD SO THEY WAKE UP TO THE POTENTIAL.
THE PRIVATE VIEWS BY
PAUL HALES
DIRECTOR
HALES WATER TURBINES LTD
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