Tidal turbines are best described as underwater wind mills, but with shorter blades rotating at slower speed. Designed for water depths of between 35 and 100 m, the tidal turbines are deployed on the seabed and kept in position by gravity, pins or pilings (depending on the seabed and tidal stream characteristics). This eliminates any visual or audible impact above the surface and, in addition, normal shipping traffic will not be affected by the presence of the tidal arrays. The whole substructure is designed to have a small footprint while the nacelle is optimize to minimize the wake effect caused by the water flows. Unique marine installati
on methodologies have been developed to minimize installation times and to exclude the use of divers, requiring only the support of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) for monitoring purposes.
Main parts of the turbine
- Nacelle
- Hub
- Blades
- Yaw
- Substructure
Technical characteristics
Rated power: 500-2,000 kW (site dependant)
Power regulation: Variable pitch, yawing system, variable speed
Operating depth: 35-100 m
Rotor
Type: 3 bladed open
Rotor swept area: 300-500 m²
Nominal speed: approx. 10 rpm
Generator
Type: Induction
Nominal output: 500-2,000 kW
Weight
Nacelle: approx. 130 t
Substructure: approx. 150 t
Installation: Heavy lift vessel/barge (with ROV support)
Lifetime/Service: 25 years/every 5 years