Marine start-up, Green-Tide Turbines (G-TT), has appointed Cambridge Consultants to help with the development of its tidal stream turbines.
Cambridge, UK [WorldofRenewables.com]
G-TT promises to revolutionize tidal energy in the same way that jet engines changed the face of aviation. Their turbines use natural water movement to tap energy from the tidal stream, helping to bring more cost effective renewable energy to the world. Cambridge Consultants has been contracted to carry out G-TT’s Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis design – once again demonstrating its credentials at helping start-ups answer complex technical questions and offering vital support as they seek a route-to-market.
By 2020 the UK Government has committed to 20% of its total energy requirements coming from renewable sources. Of this, it is estimated that only 3% will be from a combination of tidal and wave devices, but G-TT believe marine renewables have the potential of providing 15 – 20% of the UK’s energy needs if deployed correctly. Current tidal stream technologies are still at an early stage of development and one of the main technical challenges developers are facing is how to best predict and plan how the underwater turbines will interact and work with the varying depths, strengths and directions of water flow. To help overcome this challenge, G-TT called upon Cambridge Consultants to carry out CFD analysis, which is an essential part of the turbines design process.
Green-Tide’s turbine technology aims to achieve 30% capital cost savings relative to competing technologies by a means of an optimized innovative design that operates at a higher efficiency and uses less material.
“As a start-up company operating in a market that is still in its infancy, selecting our technology partners was a detailed process. We took recommendations from key figures in the industry who advised that Cambridge Consultants had the right staff and skills in turbo machinery analysis,” said Michael Evans, CEO, Green-Tide Turbines. “After meeting with them, we felt confident that they were the right partner to provide Computer Fluid Dynamics support and engineering services to our project. They are now a fully integrated member of our development team.”
“We find this type of analysis is essential in achieving good results on your R&D process. By the use of appropriate modeling, the development process can be shortened and risks reduced,” commented Craig Webster, head of Cleantech at Cambridge Consultants. “It is important that start-ups have access to this level of technology. All too often, we find that financial restrictions coupled with a need to show hardware to investors encourages them to short circuit this process. However our experience is that it’s much better to do the right thing early on, than to cut corners and bear the cost of dealing with any issues later on in the process. Our teams develop new technologies and deal with development challenges on a day to-day-basis. We know how to apply the right analytical techniques in an appropriate manner for the early stages of a project. As such, we are delighted to work with innovative start-ups, like G-TT, and are willing to tailor our services to their needs. Indeed some of today’s most successful clients were start ups when we first met them.”
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of over 300 engineers, designers, scientists and consultants, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications.
Throughout 2010, Cambridge Consultants celebrates its 50th year in business. Created by three Cambridge graduates in 1960, the company has grown into a leading technology business, renowned worldwide for its ability to solve technical problems and provide innovative, practical solutions to commercial issues. In 2009, the company was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com
Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, the European leader in innovation and high technology consulting. The Group’s 17,500 consultants, operating worldwide, cover the entire range of engineering specialities, including electronics, information technology, quality and organization. Altran offers its clients ongoing support throughout the innovation cycle, from technology watch, applied basic research and management consulting to industrial systems engineering and information systems. The Group provides services to most industries, including the automotive, aeronautics, space, life sciences and telecommunications sectors. Founded in 1982, Altran operates in 20 priority countries. In 2008, it generated a turnover of €1,650 million. For more information visit: www.altran.com
Green-Tide Turbines Ltd is developing a novel Run-of-River and Tidal Stream Turbine offering lower capital and operational and maintenance costs, whilst delivering over twice the available energy of comparative bladed turbine technologies. The company is addressing a rapidly growing Global market for Marine Renewables projected to be worth 80-250 billion Euros per annum in energy sales.
Website: www.green-tide.org