Trident AquaSail® System Overview
Combining a novel power transmission system with a vertical axis turbine, Trident AquaSail® was originally designed to meet a testing environmental and financial challenge. (Patent Pending No. 1318750.5). That challenge was to design a hydropower solution that would provide an acceptable return on investment at a site surrounded by protected wildlife habitats, where safe transit of migratory fish and other marine life was required - and where there were potential noise and flooding concerns for nearby residential and commercial properties.
The proposed design successfully met the requirements of the Environment Agency, Natural England and the local Planning Authority - and has a projected pay-back time of less than 8 years assuming current levels of government incentives.
Typical Trident AquaSail® System Configuration
Novel Power Transmission System
The Trident AquaSail® design incorporates a novel power transmission control system that uses hydraulic and electronic controls to manage both the flow of water and the gearing of the generator in response to changing turbine rotation speeds. The result is electricity generated at a constant frequency (50 Hz) that is acceptable for Grid export or mains usage from a relatively slow turbine rotation speed.
Efficient Turbine Design
Trident AquaSail® incorporates a vertical axis turbine that has a number of design advantages.
Firstly, the rectangular turbine blades are designed to sweep a large percentage of the flow in a channel at variable water levels, thereby maximising the extraction of power in variable conditions.
Secondly, as only the turbine blades project into the water, most of the operating system can be housed in a dry, easily accessible environment. This will significantly reduce access and maintenance costs.
Environmental Benefit
The combination of the vertical axis turbine design and the relatively slow turbine rotation speed minimises turbulence, scouring, erosion, accretion and noise. Managing the flow of water with the system can also provide environmental benefits to fish and other marine life while providing a greater level of flooding control.
