Swimming river power plant makes electricity generation cheaper

Stömungswandler-Schraube

For present water power plants transverse structures, such as weirs or dams, needed to be constructed. "This does not apply to our power plant type at all, because the screw will be fastened in the bed of a stream either with a ship's anchor or a concrete anchor tie bar." Two further advantages are that the ship and boat traffic are not affected. Also with this type of power plant there will be no visual impairment.", the technician explains. The turbine that is used was developed in its original shape by the late Jens Hoppe. "We changed a lot of things." Seyfarth explains.

The great advantages of the power plant type are that there are enough watercourses in which it can be used for electricity generation. "The Technical University in Braunschweig found out in a recent study, that an enormous potential of water power is unused.", Seyfarth says. This potential lies at a capacity of 1.300 gigawatts at low heads of 0.4-4 meters and medium to large flow rates of 5-650 cubic meters per second. "This correspondents with a capacity of 2000 nuclear power plants of medium European build.", the technician says. The entirety of disadvantages that result out of a central transformation and transmission of energy and affect nature, mankind and economy, will be annihilated with the new technology of autarkic and local utilization of water power, the scientist is persuaded. Incidentally, the system is also applicable in natural subterranean watercourses, as well as in waste water of industry and communes.

The prototype of the power plant will be installed in Naumburg-Almrich in Saxony-Anhalt. "The operation of the turbine is also reasonable in developing countries and emerging markets, because it can be used to build infrastructure." Seyfarth explains. Along with the enterprise Aupro http://aupro-gmbh.com a drinking water purification solution is worked on. (end)

Source: pressetext.austria
Translation: Stefan Chlebowski