NIOT’s turbine to harness power from ocean currents in six months

According to the institution’s Energy and Freshwater group head Dr Purnima Jalihal, NIOT invented a three-bladed turbine which developed power from ocean currents at Rutland island in the Andaman Archipelago. 

“The prototype was positioned on May 20 this year for a month long trial which was successful. Andaman was chosen due to the  many small islands which create a current favourable for power production, similar to wind mills at Aralvaimozhi which produce power when the wind is funnelled through the surrounding hills,” she added. Once the institute developed the turbine it would be handed over to private parties for commercial use. 

“The proposed turbines were meant to generate lower units of power as this was what the  forest settlements in the remote island needed as they were also off grid,” she said and added that “the institution was working on developing energy from waves, ocean currents and thermal gradients to develop devices for off-grid applications in islands and coastal settlements.” 

The NIOT official said that India “has lower wave, current and wind climate compared to northern latitudes and thus is challenging to design turbines capable of operating under such mild conditions.” 

Best performing designs for the prototype “were identified following computational studies on blade profiles and solidity ratios based on which the prototype with a three bladed turbine was designed, fabricated and tested in a towing tank and in an open channel in the North Chennai Thermal Power Station,” Jalihal said. The simulation results matched well with the performance in towing tank and outfall channel. Finally, the turbine was deployed for open sea trials in Andaman Islands. 

“It is to NIOT’s credit that all parts of the prototype excepting the alternator were produced inhouse and we are very happy with the results” officials added. 

The turbine thus deployed near Rutland Island in Andaman is now generating 100 W power continuously since the day it was deployed. Data is continuously being logged to study performance. 

“The on-going turbine’s development is expected to be made operational within six months,” Dr Jalihal concluded.