THOR's Technology
THOR is developing a family of fully submersible horizontal axis tethered ocean current turbines
capable of operating in waters with sea floor depths in excess of 500m. THOR's renewable ocean
current turbines (ROCT) are capable of operating at net capacity factors above 80% or
effectively 'always on' (base-load) power generation, without the resource intermittency
issues associated with other types of renewable generators such as wind, solar, tidal,
wave and others. THOR has commissioned several third party, independent energy yield
analysis studies, most notably by GL-Garrad Hassan (THOR was featured in the recent
GL-Garrad Hassan ocean energy brochure ), that confirm the base-load reliability of
THOR's ROCT - but only if the ocean current turbine operates according to
our proprietary Power Method, an innovation developed by THOR and pivotal component of
THOR's intellectual property assets.
Unlike horizontal axis rotor devices such as some modern tidal marine current
turbines or some state-of-the-art wind turbines which employ conventional blade
pitch regulated power control schemes, THOR ROCTs use a power regulation scheme
termed THOR's Power Method, an operational approach based on a proprietary power
control protocol which provides several important advantages.
Advantages of THOR's Power Method:
(a) Increase in Net Capacity Factor - Significant increase to the
ocean current turbine's net capacity factor from the 50% range to the 80% range -
thus facilitating base-load power generation from a renewable resource. This leap
in net capacity factor vaults ocean current energy generation almost 40% above
conventional hydroelectric power (impoundment dam hydroelectric power) which
yield net capacity factors
in the mid-50% range.
(b) Decrease in Cost - Decrease in the cost of the ocean current turbine
because moderate/low efficiency components (moderate/low cost components) can be incorporated
into the ocean current turbine without the usual corresponding loss in net capacity factor
.
(c) Drive Train Simplification - Significant simplification to the power
drive train by the elimination of a complex variable pitch control rotor. THOR's Power Method
is a direct alternative to use of the conventional pitch regulated power scheme which requires
a complex and failure-prone variable pitch rotor hub.
(d) Constant Anchor Loads - Simplified mooring and anchoring devices are
facilitated by THOR's Power Method which results in constant tension in the restraining mooring cables and
constant loads on the anchoring devices.
THOR's commercial scale ROCT's will have rotor diameters from 20 to 60 meters and the capability of producing up to 2 megawatts of electrical power each. THOR's ROCTs will be deployed in ocean current farms with many devices arrayed to share common infrastructure, including seabed anchoring systems and a primary submarine transmission cable to an onshore iinterconnection point.
Net Capacity Factor by Fuel Type
