| |
| CANADIAN ELECTRICITY FORUM, New Supply Options In Alberta's Changing Electricity Marketplace Forum, EDMONTON, ALBERTA (October 30 - 31, 2000)
|
WARPTM THE NEXT WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY FOR ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION
Alfred L. Weisbrich, PE, President, ENECO
Gunther J. Weisbrich (Speaker), Vice President, ENECO
WARP™ APPLICATIONS
WARP™ wind systems design has the unique capability to be used in a variety of applications and in an economically attractive multi-tasking manner. Clearly, the advantages (as discussed above) that WARP™ systems provide allows them the ability to be employed in electric utility scale wind farms in onshore environments. What separates WARP™ from conventional large bladed systems is their ability to be deployed in the offshore at any water depth. WARP™ design characteristics make it possible to be configured as a floating or tension-legged structures (Figure 23). Conventional large bladed systems today can only be installed in shallow waters (~30 feet), or require an artificial island to be built. The greatest wind resource in the world is in the offshore. However, many parts of the world have coastlines that drop off very quickly (i.e. become very deep close to the shoreline) and are unusable by conventional large bladed systems. WARP™'s ability to float or tension-leg, reestablishes those offshore areas as potential wind energy sites. This ability will have enormous economic benefits to those willing to pursue this application. Additionally, WARP™ can be deployed on decommissioned oil and gas platforms (Figure 24). The expense the oil and gas industry is projected to spend on decommissioning platforms on depleted oil/gas fields is enormous. In the North Sea alone, it is projected that 250 platforms will need to be decommissioned in the next 10 to 20 years. If we assume a conservative decommissioning cost of US$10,000,000/platform, the oil and gas industry will need to spend US$2.5 billion to remove these platforms. The cost savings that can be attained from just deferring those costs are very attractive. The WARP™ systems deployed on such platforms would be able to supply clean energy to any nearby satellite field that is still productive, or if the platform is near shore, it could cable the electricity back onshore and be tied into the established electrical grid. If the oil and gas industry were to employ this application it would have the opportunity to gain significant financial rewards as well as achieve good public relations with governments and citizens alike.
The existing electric utility transmission tower grid in the US and Canada is quite extensive and is projected for considerable addition (Figure 25). The WARP™ system is ideally suited to be employed in this arena. Europeans are attempting to utilize large bladed wind systems (ref. Wind Power Monthly, page 31, Sept. 2000) to not only generate electricity but also be used in conjunction with transmission of electrical energy. As may be noted, a WARP™ design (Figure 26) is considerably better suited for this application. For example, the tower will be more stable and have a lower visual horizon-pollution effect). The electrical transmission industry estimates that about 10% of the electricity is lost when transmitted long distances. WARP™ modules could be designed to be retrofitted on existing transmission towers (so as to replenish the lost electricity). Or new transmission towers that have the WARP™ system designed as part of the transmission tower will create a new concept that combines electrical generation with transmission. The cost of building the towers is an expense already incurred by the industry. The additional cost of incorporating the WARP™ modules on those towers can provide an attractive return on investment.
As demand for electricity continues to escalate worldwide, the distributed generation concept is beginning to emerge - local, self-generating power systems. Much like the computer industry, the initial idea was to have everyone tied to a large mainframe computer. Over time a fantastic new market developed, one that the established companies did not see developing or wanted to believe existed. That market was for each individual to have his own, personal computer. Similar dynamics are beginning to happen in the electrical energy business. As more and more demand for electricity is growing, more brown outs and unreliable supply become the norm. Due to its inherent nature to operate integrally with other power systems like diesels, micro-turbines, fuel cells, etc., WARP™ has the ability to satisfy future energy needs with on-demand power delivery while greatly reducing pollution and the need for fuel.
WARP™ also can be easily installed on high rise rooftops and begin to supply electrical energy for individual buildings. We are all aware that the higher one goes the greater the wind speed (Figure 27). Most high rise buildings have a flagpole to show how windy it is. The resource is there and the WARP™ technology is suited to take advantage of that resource. Again, conventional large bladed systems are not suited for such an application.
As noted earlier, the simple lattice tower used in the telecom/microwave tower industry may also employ the WARP™ design. Besides giving the tower all the structural benefits (described earlier), the WARP™ system would also supply the needed power to the electronic equipment (Figure 28). In addition the static modules would be used to house the electrical equipment from the elements, allowing for safer and longer equipment life. To date, one of the requirements of building a telecom/microwave tower is to build them close to the power grid or require that an independent fossil fuel generator be built next to the tower. The generator system must be constantly fueled and maintained (a considerable expense). The power supplied by the WARP™ system will now allow these towers to be built in remote areas, far away from any power grid or access roads. Ideal locations like hill tops and mountainous areas can now be used for their network of tower links. This ability to build in remote areas will find a great appeal from emerging and third world nations.
The recent devastation caused by wildfires in the United States has highlighted the need for an early warning system that can detect the early stages of wildfires. Unmanned WARP™ towers could be used as self powered remote infrared sensing towers that would be able to detect fires before they are out of control (Figure 29). The cost savings that such an early warning system would provide from avoiding loss of property and life would easily justify the price of installing this type of system throughout the nation's forest preserves.
The recent increase in oil and gas prices again will be putting great pressures on the shipping industry. WARP™ could be used to generate the power for electrical engines for large cargo ships. The cost of fuel is significant, but the weight of that fuel is also a very important factor. The last time oil prices reached these levels (greater than $30/barrel) the Japanese designed cargo ships with metal airfoil "sails" to reduce the expense of the diesel fuel. The only problem was that, like any sailboat, it had to tack back and forth to reach its destination. Not being able to sail in a straight line increased the time needed to make the journey and that ultimately increased the expense again. Since WARP™ can operate independent of wind direction, the ship may be able to sail in a relatively straight line again. As long as the wind is blowing, the WARP™ turbines will generate electricity to provide power to the electric engines onboard (Figure 30).
Clearly, imagination is the only limit in how WARP™ systems could be employed.
A final thought about wind and the WARP™ technology. Let it be said that the physics of the WARP™ amplification and design are firmly established and will work with any fluid, whether it is air or water. With that premise, WARP™ could be employed in river currents, tidal currents or in ocean currents. WARP™ designs for such applications are clearly also viable and give access to yet other renewable resources with phenomenal clean energy resource potential.
The development of the WARP™ system was never intended to be an "either or" technology. WARP™ was designed to work in conjunction with other forms of energy. It is quite possible to install photovoltaic solar cells on the static modules (Figure 31), allowing for both solar and wind to be used together. Another application that seems to have enormous potential is combining the WARP™ technology with hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen gas turbines (Figure 32). This hybrid system application is intended for use in offshore WARP™ systems. WARP™ may supply the electricity for the electrolysis of hydrogen from the seawater during ample wind conditions. During no wind conditions (~ 5% of the time in the offshore) a level of base load of electricity can be guaranteed from the hydrogen fuel cells and/or gas turbines. This unlimited hydrogen supply (seawater) can be generated by the WARP™ or supplied from the WARP™ hydrogen/floatation storage tanks. The electrical power generated from this combination of wind energy and hydrogen fuel cells/gas turbines will be cabled back to shore and tied into the onshore electrical grid. This would allow the establishment of a hydrogen economy by wire without having to create a new infrastructure. By being situated in the offshore, large power plants could be safely situated from public view and proximity. The only by-product from generating electricity from the wind-generated hydrogen through fuel cells is fresh water - another resource that this planet is in growing need of.
< PREVIOUS PAGE > | NEXT PAGE >
|
|
|
|
