Sep 8 2010
Nautricity, a technical solutions developing company for producing electric power from naturally-occurring current flows in the oceans, seas and water fronts near seas, has obtained funds from an investment company First Tech located at Aberdeen and has also signed a licensing agreement for the purchase of a contra-rotating turbine system.
The company did not declare the exact amount of funding received to maintain business confidentiality. First Tech also has assured Nautricity with further funding for the project developments in future where necessary.
The contra-rotating marine technology (CoRMaT) developed by the Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU) of the University of Strathclyde does away with the requirements of a gear box, blade pitch control and gigantic construction of structures at the seabed, thus reducing the cost of investment, removing the problems related to such constructions and lack of efficiency of the currently available systems. The machinery incorporates two rotors, three blades for upriver and four blades for downriver operations that rotate in opposite directions. The second rotor is incorporated to improve the power production activity of the device and it rotates by utilizing the swirl generated by the first rotor. The maintenance of the equipment can be performed by extracting it to a float for servicing and the continuity of power production can be maintained by replacing a spare device in its place. The prototype of the equipment underwent undersea trials before and produced impressive results. Currently, the equipment is undergoing developments to make it a total system by installing a tension mooring system and a direct drive generator.
Cameron Johnstone, Nautricity’s CEO and Founder, said that the investment supports the vision of the company in developing a device to produce carbon-free clean energy. He added that the CoRMaT device developed by the company evoked interest in national as well as in international level and the received funding will be used for developing the CoRMaT system.