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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Snowshoe who wrote (4797)	3/10/2006 4:39:50 PM
From: Crabbe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 219595

You mean to say that the 11 cent a thousand cubic feet of NG if over, that is what Chugiak Electric paid when I first got there. As they were looong term contracts I think it was scheduled to go to 85 cents after I left. Sorry Snowshoe. You have no idea of what the power generating potential of Cook Inlet is. Average tidal swing is about 30 feet, Tidal currents in excess of 5 knots (6 mph). With water density about 700 times that of air the power conveyed by this current if far greater than any wind current. The power potential is in the terawatt range and higher. Considering the slow nature of a the rotation a turbine driven by a 6 MPH current I think that the turbines might be in more danger than the whales. verdantpower.com KINETIC HYDRO ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM AXIAL-FLOW ROTOR TURBINE DESIGN Underwater windmills - unducted axial-flow rotor turbines Turbines comprise a thoroughly tested and documented (in conjunction with DOE, NYPA, NYSERDA, and NYU) "conformal" three-blade fan design Rotor is highly efficient over wide range of speeds without the complexity and reliability problems of variable-pitch blades Modular, self-contained turbine/generator units designed for direct submersion in tailrace, tidal, and river currents without costly civil works Designed to operate reliably underwater for extended periods Units designed to convert kinetic hydro energy to electric power in ranges from 25 kW to 250 kW depending on model size and water flow velocities (models planned; 25 kW, 50 kW & 100 kW) Power conditioning and interface modules, located onshore, designed to match output to power grid and to insulate customer's systems from equipment malfunctions FABRICATION Turbine blades are formed of durable and lightweight composites Rotational molding processes used with high-strength thermoplastic materials Standard construction practices used to inexpensively build, deploy, and maintain nacelles Assembled with carefully selected off-the-shelf drive and generating components including brushless generators, high reliability gear trains, and double graphite/ceramic face seals for rotor shafts Self-cleaning screen for horizontally deflecting debris and fish away from turbine blades (also designing screenless, debris immune, and more fish-friendly turbine) Yaw bearing for bidirectional operation in tidal waters DEPLOYMENT Units deployed in water currents with flow velocities of five feet per second (3 knots) or more, and in depths of at least six meters (20 feet) Can be deployed in hybrid configurations with other equipment such as fuel cells and storage batteries, or used alone Anchored to water bottoms, either by pylons, concrete bases, or other site specific anchoring devices, for reliable operation over extended periods without servicing or for ease in retrieval Significant electric power generated when multiple units are clustered into a "field" forming a group of generating units (each field producing power from 100 kW to 10 MW) Units can be used as "stand alone" systems for remote, off-grid locations or as "base power" systems for supplying electricity through transmission and distribution grids OPERATION & ENVIRONMENT Mechanical power, derived from the turbines, is applied directly through a speed increaser to an internal gearbox/generator, or to a hydraulic pump that in turn drives an on-shore hydraulic motor and generator Requires no dams nor impoundments Poses no threat to the environment, nor to water quality Produces no by-products while in operation - clean and pollution free (no greenhouse gases) Harmless to marine life and allows safe fish passage Considering that there are over 190 miles of Cook Inlet, as well as Resurrection Bay, Kachemak Bay, and innumerable other Fiord's all equally tapable with this technology, I think that maybe Alaskans have there heads where the sun don't shine. Also considering the variability in high tide times, the power could be continuous. r