Research + Development
A modern approach to an age old problem, how to harness the power of waterWelcome
Today, the modern world is sustained by energy, without electricity and other forms of energy such as heat and motive power, often produced by dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, society would be crippled.
The Hales Turbine is a means of combining the simple and proven designs of the past with modern materials and technology of today to produce clean, unlimited, renewable energy. Water powered grist mills were a common device in the middle east 2,000 years ago where they were used to grind corn. Powered by slow moving water, rivers and streams were used to drive horizontal wheels but were limited by the lack of bearings and fixings. These early models were surpassed by the more efficient undershot and overshot horizontal water wheels, many examples of which can still be found today.
The Hales Turbine is a modern form of the early horizontal design.
- Tidal energy is one of the greatest renewable energy sources worldwide.
- Tidal stream flows have been and can be predicted years in advance.
- Water flow carries a vast amount of kinetic energy compared to winds.
- The very slow rotation of the tidal turbine reduces habitat stress.
- Energy extracted can be used for freshwater or hydrogen production in the same location.
What is the Hales Turbine ?
There are four basic tidal turbine design groups to date that operate in the tidal stream and can be located anywhere, rather than the large barrier system which involves damming a large area of water and passing the captured water through special bulb type turbines.
Horizontal axis propeller types, the standard wind turbine but adapted for water, vertical axis Darrius types that use foil blades, often with complicated pitch control to improve performance. Oscillators that use a flat or foil shaped blade like a fish tail but the water flow pushes the blade side to side.
The fourth type is the side drive turbine. The old fashion waterwheel, which has been around for thousands of years is a side drive turbine but not very practical for tidal turbine use, the Hales Turbine takes the best attributes of this design and adds modern engineering practice to produce a powerful but simple turbine design that works.