PowerCone®
TIDAL
A turbine retrofit that is bringing a sea of change.
The seas are as reliable as they
challenging. We help you harness the Power.
The PowerCone Tidal is a tidal turbine retrofit that allows developers and power producers to effectively harness tidal power in any speed conditions and terrain while reducing Levelized-Cost-of Energy (LCOE).
Turning the tide
Seas and oceans are a source of immense power and
are as reliable as clockwork. The majority of the human
population lives close enough to the coast for tidal
energy to be their main source of power, but it is not.
At least not yet.
Beneath the surface, tidal energy has come with challenges that have obstructed the path to effectively harness its capacity. PowerCone Tidal is designed to unlock the enormous potential of bodies of water as sources of reliable renewable base-load power, at cost structures that work with current market economics.
New Wave
Tank testing at Dalhousie University and ocean pilot testing on a Schottel turbine in Ireland have revealed the potential of PowerCone Tidal: a marked reduction in design driving thrust loads coupled with an increase in power performance. It’s a combination that marks a potential breakthrough for the tidal power industry.
in low flow regimes below 0.9 m/s by up to
beyond 1.4 m/s flow speeds by an average of
Rising Potential
The PowerCone Tidal allows tidal turbine developers and power producers to economically deploy on sites with low speed, high turbulence, and with complex underwater terrain, as well as reduce the Levelized-Cost-of Energy (LCOE) of Tidal in three key ways:
Improve
Capacity Factor
Increase
Energy Yield
Reduced Foundation
Costs and Mounting
Requirements
Printing Innovation
The PowerCone Tidal prototype that was tested in Ireland was not just innovative in design - the manufacturing solution was a first for the industry as well. Biome, along with partners at Renishaw Canada and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), used 3D metal printing to produce the retrofit.
This method saved 80% in time and labour and allowed for novel geometric considerations in the design to increase structural performance while reducing weight. The result provided a much sought after reduction in levelized cost of energy to help tidal energy to emerge as a reliable and predictable renewable energy source.
2022 _ 10
Biome Renewables is collaborating with the University of New Brunswick and ANDRITZ on an innovative new tidal power project which promises to push tidal rotor and turbine design to the next level. Utilizing Biome’s patented PowerCone® technology, this numerical study will investigate the design, implementation, and impact of a completely reconceived and fully embedded novel rotor design.
