Low mass, modular, river hydrokinetic system

Ocean Renewable Power Company has developed hydrokinetic technology and projects that are at present commercially viable in isolated communities with high cost of energy. These project sites are typically remote, rural communities in Alaska, which obtain all their electricity from diesel microgrids. Alaska contains 40% of the US river energy resource, and the largest recoverable river hydrokinetic resource is located in the contiguous US, and in particular, on the lower sections of the Mississippi River. The US roadmap for marine hydrokinetics estimates installed capacity of 15 gigawatts of wave and tidal power systems by 2030. Ocean Renewable Power Company’s low profile, cross-flow technology is ideally suited for environments like the Mississippi River. But while the Company’s present designs are economically viable in rural markets with high energy costs, to be economically competitive with existing or new generation devices in all of the US river markets, Ocean Renewable Power Company must significantly lower the capital, operations and maintenance costs of our existing systems. General Statement Ocean Renewable Power Company proposes to redesign the RivGen® Power System to radically reduce system weight and size, while maintaining and improving reliability. At present the RivGen® device is comprised of primarily metal structures, with a self-deploying pontoon system accounting for over 50% of the overall weight. The Company proposes to reduce the loads experienced during installation, operation, and retrieval by incorporating flow diverters into the structural design to reduce drag loading. Reducing the drag experienced by the turbine itself also will be investigated, the results of which will contribute towards enhanced system performance. Phase I Work Preliminary design work will be conducted in Phase I, focused on scalable 50 kilowatt system design and array integration. The completion of detailed design work, and prototype fabrication and testing will completed in Phase II. Commercial Applications and other benefits Ocean Renewable Power Company will market power systems globally, but the early adopter market for our first commercialization opportunities will be in North America where the potential is large. The RivGen® Power System uses no fossil fuels and produces no emissions. Its use can greatly reduce a community’s greenhouse gas emissions and overall carbon footprint. Key Words RivGen® Power System. Diesel microgrids. Greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon footprint.