Swordfish Energy Corporation
The Swordfish horizontal axial flow turbine is a bi-directional 1 MW turbine suitable for near-shore and river renewable energy generation. The design is based on the Archimedes screw and placed parallel to the tidal or river flow. Rather than forcing energy by resisting the immense power of the ocean tides or rushing rivers, Swordfish draws its energy by using the massive surface area of its wings to simply `Roll with the Flow.`
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Renewable Energy
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
- Year Founded:
- 2020
About Us
What's Wrong with Typical Propeller Style Systems?
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Propeller or Blade style (like wind power) units can be harmful to sea life and are constantly damaged by floating debris and the ravages of cavitation.
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Due to the extreme blade length required by some designs, extreme depths are required for placement, in many cases over 300 feet (90 meters) which in turn requires a greater distance from shore requiring far more difficult installation and maintenance procedures.
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Propeller or Blade-style systems have many components to make them operate. The 'multi-geared' transmissions are under extreme stress during operation and are the first thing to go with many designs..
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Another point of failure for ALL propeller or blade style systems is the trailing edges of the blades. As the water flows over the blade, the trailing edge of the blade is subjected to extreme cavitation damage which eventually requires the entire unit to be raised, repaired, or replaced, then reinstalled. A huge and expensive undertaking!
About Tidal Energy
Tidal and ocean current energy can be exploited by building semi-permeable barrages (dam-like structures) across estuaries with a high tidal range, or harnessing offshore tidal streams. Unlike wind and waves, tidal and ocean currents are predictable years in advance. During high tides, barrages allow tidal waters to fill an estuary through sluices which then close when the tide begins to fall. Once the tide is low enough, the stored water is released at pressure through turbines. The Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the Atlantic Northeast are likely areas for tidal energy production.
Tidal energy may be harnessed using offshore underwater devices similar to wind turbines. Submerged rotating devices capture energy through the processes of hydrodynamic lift or drag. These devices consist of rotor blades, a generator for converting the rotational energy into electricity, and a means for transporting the electrical current to the on-shore electrical grid. Submerged turbines can have either a horizontal or vertical axis of rotation. Mechanisms such as posts, cables or anchors are required to keep the turbines stationary relative to the tidal currents. Numerous horizontal axis turbines, similar to wind turbines are in use. Vertical axis turbine designs have been proposed, with some designs resembling egg beaters or kites.
Turbines may be anchored to the ocean floor in a variety of ways. They may be tethered with cables, using the relatively constant current interacting with the turbine to maintain location and stability. Imagine an underwater kite flying, where the kite is the upright turbine and the kite flyer is the anchor. The system may also include concentrators (or shrouds) around the blades to increase the flow and power output from the turbine. Another proposed design is mooring a barge in the current stream with a large cable loop to which water-filled parachutes are fastened. The parachutes would be pushed by the current and then closed on their way back, forming a loop similar to a large horizontal waterwheel. In large areas with powerful currents, it may be possible to install water turbines in groups or clusters to create a 'marine energy facility' (similar to a wind energy facility). Turbine spacing would be determined based on wake interactions and maintenance needs.
Fish and Wildlife Considerations
Careful site selection is critical to minimizing the environmental impacts of hydrokinetic power systems. Currently, there is limited understanding of the environmental impacts of in-stream, tidal, ocean current, or wave hydrokinetic energy production because few of these projects are operational. All hydrokinetic energy devices may impact animal behavior, altering migration or other movements. Concern exists over impacts to benthic habitat, including fish foraging habitat, caused by the anchoring of underwater structures. Another concern is the effect of underwater noise and vibration. Underwater turbines may also cause entrainment (being sucked into the turbines) or impingement (pinned against a structure) of fish, birds, aquatic mammals, and reptiles.
Large-scale in-stream hydrokinetic projects have the potential to alter in-stream hydraulics (water movement and pressure), sediment transport and deposition, and other river characteristics. This may impact habitat quality and quantity both upstream and downstream of the project. Freshwater mussels, particularly threatened or endangered mussels may be adversely affected by the redistribution of sediments or the increased mortality of fish host species resulting from entrainment. The potential cumulative effects of in-stream hydrokinetic energy production are unknown but could be significant. In-stream hydrokinetic energy projects are being intensively explored in the Mississippi, Missouri, Penobscot, St. Lawrence, and Niagara rivers.
Concerns in marine hydrokinetic systems include impacts to marine animals sensitive to electric and magnetic fields, reduction in the size of intertidal areas, and collision with, or avoidance of energy generating devices. Some wave energy designs have features that extend many feet above the water surface and pose a potential collision risk for seabirds. The potential impact of large-scale tidal, ocean current, and wave energy projects on energy loss in the marine or estuarine ecosystem is poorly understood. Altering energy dynamics in an aquatic system may alter wave or current patterns and influence sediment transport and deposition. Possible indirect effects include displacement of mobile fauna and alterations in food availability. This may have the potential to affect the reproduction of species at higher trophic levels. Shoreline impacts may result from the construction and operation of infrastructure needed to transport the electrical current to an on-shore electrical grid.
