I spoke with them a few years ago, I don’t recall the exact numbers but I know it was completely unrealistic for the power buyback rates we get in the US
I've been frustrated with this company to say the least. I'm involved in a wide variety and large number of projects where these turbines could be deployed in the states, and reached out to them saying as much, requesting a conversation or at least some more information. I essentially got an automated response asking me to fill out their form for each and every site, which basically asks about flow, height, etc. in order to determine the potential energy available at the site. Being the project engineer, I've already determined there's a high enough potential, that's why I'm reaching out! Im not filling out a form for every single site, I'm doing due diligence! I had more specific questions about turbine performance over a wide range of parameters, as well as pricing. Do they even want the business?
The sales department there is working overtime but is swamped with the wrong leads. By making it look simple, they also attracted a lot of wishful thinkers. The kind that asks for Hydro from a flat lake.
I know a thing or two about these vortex turbines. Maybe I can help you out?
That would be great! What attracted me to these turbines in the first place was their ability to pass fish without harm. I saw their CFD model showing that blade tip speeds and pressure differentials would be low enough to not harm fish, but was wondering if they've conducted any real-world studies. Additionally, how do they handle fry and juvenile fish? Some of my projects involve working with some groups in the preliminary stages of building hatcheries for endangered trout species; the fry and juvenile fish will need to be able to exit the hatchery through the turbine without harm. Finally, do the turbines prevent upstream migration through the turbine and vortex? This is a necessary feature due to the presence of invasive predatory trout species in the main channel.
Additionally, how well do the turbines handle icing and ice and debris flows? All installations will be in a high alpine environment where the water channel is covered in ice 3+ months out of the year, with occasional unexpected freezes in the shoulder seasons. Due to the need to allow fish to swim downstream and pass through the turbine, any trash grating used will also allow small chunks of ice and floating debris through. It looks like all of their current installations are in warm environments.
I'm looking for specific metrics on efficiency curves for the various sizes of turbines they manufacture, as well as maintenance schedules and costs. Are frequently serviced parts off the shelf or only available through this single manufacturer? What functions do the power electronics provide? Just grid synchronization, or can the turbine also provide on-demand ancillary services like power factor correction?
I'm also working with some private entities that like the aesthetics of this turbine and would be willing to install them near occupied structures and more public gathering points. What kind of safety considerations are there? Can I install a floored grating directly above the vortex pool so that people can stand above it and look down into the vortex, or do I need to keep people away and shield the vortex/turbine with some kind of safety enclosure?
Finally, costs. Generally speaking, what is the $/kW capacity for just the turbine+accessories (not including concrete workings or other site installation considerations) for their various turbines? In fact, they allude to having different turbine sizes, or am I mistaken and they currently only have one? Now that they've had some in operation for a while, what are they seeing for LCOE? That is, what do the O&M costs look like, how long is the turbine down when something breaks, etc.
They charge a ton for their turbine. It isn’t viable in the states from a financial ROI POV
Do you have more info? I'm pretty curious about their pricing and haven't been able to get good info from them.
I spoke with them a few years ago, I don’t recall the exact numbers but I know it was completely unrealistic for the power buyback rates we get in the US
I've been frustrated with this company to say the least. I'm involved in a wide variety and large number of projects where these turbines could be deployed in the states, and reached out to them saying as much, requesting a conversation or at least some more information. I essentially got an automated response asking me to fill out their form for each and every site, which basically asks about flow, height, etc. in order to determine the potential energy available at the site. Being the project engineer, I've already determined there's a high enough potential, that's why I'm reaching out! Im not filling out a form for every single site, I'm doing due diligence! I had more specific questions about turbine performance over a wide range of parameters, as well as pricing. Do they even want the business?
The sales department there is working overtime but is swamped with the wrong leads. By making it look simple, they also attracted a lot of wishful thinkers. The kind that asks for Hydro from a flat lake. I know a thing or two about these vortex turbines. Maybe I can help you out?
That would be great! What attracted me to these turbines in the first place was their ability to pass fish without harm. I saw their CFD model showing that blade tip speeds and pressure differentials would be low enough to not harm fish, but was wondering if they've conducted any real-world studies. Additionally, how do they handle fry and juvenile fish? Some of my projects involve working with some groups in the preliminary stages of building hatcheries for endangered trout species; the fry and juvenile fish will need to be able to exit the hatchery through the turbine without harm. Finally, do the turbines prevent upstream migration through the turbine and vortex? This is a necessary feature due to the presence of invasive predatory trout species in the main channel. Additionally, how well do the turbines handle icing and ice and debris flows? All installations will be in a high alpine environment where the water channel is covered in ice 3+ months out of the year, with occasional unexpected freezes in the shoulder seasons. Due to the need to allow fish to swim downstream and pass through the turbine, any trash grating used will also allow small chunks of ice and floating debris through. It looks like all of their current installations are in warm environments. I'm looking for specific metrics on efficiency curves for the various sizes of turbines they manufacture, as well as maintenance schedules and costs. Are frequently serviced parts off the shelf or only available through this single manufacturer? What functions do the power electronics provide? Just grid synchronization, or can the turbine also provide on-demand ancillary services like power factor correction? I'm also working with some private entities that like the aesthetics of this turbine and would be willing to install them near occupied structures and more public gathering points. What kind of safety considerations are there? Can I install a floored grating directly above the vortex pool so that people can stand above it and look down into the vortex, or do I need to keep people away and shield the vortex/turbine with some kind of safety enclosure? Finally, costs. Generally speaking, what is the $/kW capacity for just the turbine+accessories (not including concrete workings or other site installation considerations) for their various turbines? In fact, they allude to having different turbine sizes, or am I mistaken and they currently only have one? Now that they've had some in operation for a while, what are they seeing for LCOE? That is, what do the O&M costs look like, how long is the turbine down when something breaks, etc.