Hales Turbine.
Project Aim:
To demonstrate to the potential of renewable tidal energy and highlight its benefits in a highly visual and hands-on way that also gives the public a chance to be involved.
To build a floating EGS (Electricity Generating System) that harnesses the renewable energy of ocean tides in such a new and non-polluting way that it captures the full attention and support of the public.
Note: This project is and has been supported for 18 years by World Of Water (a registered charity) and World Of Water are managing the cause fund for this project.
The First Stage:
The aim is to begin with the construction of a steel demonstration craft; about 9 metres long by 4.5 meters wide and weighing almost 7 tonnes.
This craft, shaped similar to a catamaran, will have a ‘moon-pool’ area between the floats to operate tidal generators up to 2 metres in diameter.
The craft will be built and operated off the shingle beach at Normans Bay, East Sussex at the beach front workshops of Paul Hales, the leader of the Hales Energy Group, the Internet based design group leading this project.
The workshops already have the space, winches and much of the equipment etc, needed to run the project. In addition, several local engineering firms have offered their help.
The craft will carry the standard forms of marine equipment needed to operate in coastal waters.
The craft will also carry a special lighting system to display the tidal turbine’s generated output that will operate while the turbine is suspended below the craft.
Video equipment, special gauges and recording equipment will log the data and as the tidal flows increase past the anchored craft so the amount of energy generated will be increased and more and more lights will illuminate.
The craft will be constructed to be road transportable in the future (see the second stage below) so displays can be made at any coastal location or inland river. (Still water Lake demonstrations possible with outboard engines fitted to create the water flow past the craft.)
The Tidal Turbine design is a vertical axis type designed by Paul Hales to operate in shallow coastal waters.
The demonstration craft’s trials and operations will allow the public to look at a form of renewable electricity generation which so far has been researched only at University Departments or situated in very remote locations.
Whenever the craft is on public display, the design team will be encouraging direct contact with them both on site and through a special website. This will allow members of the public to ask questions and to input their own design and display ideas directly to the design team.
The Second Stage:
Construct or purchase a road trailer suitable for transporting the demonstration craft with all its equipment to other venues around the UK to promote both the design and the concept of Tidal Renewable Energy.
Note: The Hales Energy Group has been advising the Aluna Tidal Clock Project planned to be built on the banks of the River Thames near ‘The 02’ (Millennium Dome, London, UK). ‘Aluna’, is a five storey high clock sculpture and is to be powered by tidal power - promotional displays could successfully highlight both projects in the capital.
The Third Stage:
To set up a Renewable Energy Development Trust (REDT). This Trust will use the craft, and services associated with it, to demonstrate, display and trial new designs of renewable and sustainable energy generation.
To use the Demonstration craft and the experience gained through services to assist other designers and inventors that need to test out their turbine designs.
The REDT to compile renewable energy data base information to be freely available to all worldwide to benefit mankind.
The turbine trials will also allow designs to be produced for a stand alone tidal or run of river generation unit that can be simply constructed in developing countries or flown into disaster areas for localised generation.
Funding Requirements:
- The First Stage:
£40,000 to £80,000 and being evaluated.
- The Second Stage:
£50,000 to £100,000 and being evaluated.
- The Third Stage:
Unknown and being evaluated.
Supporting Information:
The Hales Energy Group has been advising the Aluna Tidal Clock project planned to be built on banks of the River Thames near the Dome.
The Aluna Tidal Clock is a five storey high sculpture is to be powered by tidal power generators of this type or similar. Therefore a promotional display could highlight both projects in the capital.
Why Hales Turbine is being supported by Set Forever:
After having many email conversation with Paul Hales, I (Bharat Karavadra) started to really believe that Paul wanted and could demonstrate that his turbine would and could work without purely having an immediate or eventual commercial interest in the success of the turbine.As stated, many emails were exchanged but here is one of the later exchanges that convinced me to support the cause on Set Forever:
Bharat Karavadra:
If you don’t mind me asking - what is your main problem at the moment? It would be more satisfying to help fix this than simply create a website.
Paul Hales:
You are quite right, the Turbine project is at a crossroad at present and which direction to go and how to get there is a problem that needs help.
You have already helped solve the animation problem and many people have helped to get the design as far as we have but the next step is a big one and will decide if it flies or fails.
To explain things without taking up to much of your time or boring you to tears:
I have been an engineer of different types all my life and I am 60 next month. I’m very old fashioned and believe in being able to prove what I claim and being honest throughout (this maybe the problem).
Many of the renewable energy systems (e.g. wind, tidal, wave, etc) being promoted at this time are failing to reach the claimed energy outputs of the design which is starting to make the public sceptical, and rightly so. Take David Cameron’s Wind Turbine on his house; predicted to take 30 years to pay for itself if it lasts that long.
Much of the problem is relying on computer modelling the turbine/prime mover alone. Such simulations can so easily be tweaked to give a rosy picture and misses so much of the true design requirements, and the other problem is many people are on the bandwagon for the ride & rewards and make claims that cannot be met.
I cannot do that. I value my word and honour; an old fashion word.
I am not parental and have no children but want to leave a legacy to this world in the form of my designs and concepts that will help the people.
I get a great deal of advice from many sources that direct me towards academic assistance. The DTI , Carbon Trust, etc all run programmes to promote “tidal renewables”, etc but they are mostly computer/paper exercises to produce results for the market and media.
I believe the only way to properly work up the design is to carry out the work in working conditions; either the sea or a test tank and work through each of the alterations until the best result is found.
Imagine designing a sail boat; the computer can only take things so far then it needs to be on the water and sails of differing sizes and shapes, etc worked to get the best results. This way, not only do you get the best results but you have the hard physical evidence in your hands to back it up.
Getting long winded!?
If you have the time and interest I can explain why I believe Tidal Power is going to be “the renewable” with the most potential.
The website is important because as the search for energy gets more urgent so more people will see it and at the moment it’s a poor window to the project.
I work as maintenance engineer to pay the bills, so paying for the prototyping, etc is a slow process out of my back pocket but it is so interesting, the more people cab view and understand the potential energy source from tidal flows the more R & D will talk place.
