In two weeks of full testing on its AR1000 turbine, the international marine energy developer has secured performance data equivalent to four months of tidal exchanges. Working closely with their Narec colleagues, Atlantis’ engineers ran a series of tests designed to yield data on drive train efficiency, control system validation and the analysis of the thermal properties of major components under full electrical load. Narec’s controlled testing environment allowed the team to study turbine performance under a demanding, simulated offshore operating conditions, accruing a wealth of data in a short space of time.
“We’ve learned an awful lot about the AR1000 turbine as a result of this testing programme,” said Tim Cornelius, CEO at Atlantis. “Most importantly, the solid performance of the turbine in tough, simulated offshore conditions has given our engineering team confidence in the performance, integrity and reliability of the AR1000 turbine system. Narec testing is an important step in our engineering process. Our team and all of our technology contractors will now take time to review and digest the data collected, which will feed into future design considerations. As we move towards customer delivery, we plan to continue to invest in both onshore and offshore testing.”
The 1MW AR1000 tidal power turbine is being tested at the EMEC facility in Scotland and the Narec facility in England. Atlantis is developing some of the world’s largest tidal power generation sites, including in the Pentland Firth, Scotland, the gulfs of Khambhat and Kutch in Gujarat, India, and at the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy, Nova Scotia.
For further information:
