RENEWABLE ENERGY
DEEP THINKING
Louise Smyth meets the CEO of an innovative tech fi rm that’s bringing a novel marine energy solution to market
T
here’s a great deal of crossover between various engineering disciplines and it’s always interesting to see an idea that emerged from
one industry be tweaked and adopted by another. It’s often the aerospace sector we see ‘borrowing’ technology that’s been successful elsewhere, usually becoming a later adopter due to its stringent safety requirements. However, in the case of Deep Green technology, the reverse scenario has occurred: a concept dreamed up at an aerospace company has been developed into an impressive marine energy technology. Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of the fi rm created as a spin-off from the original idea, explains how the technology came to life. “It was invented by an engineer
with the
aerospace company Saab, within the scope of a wind turbine study where vertical- axis turbine concepts were explored,” he begins. “T e idea was then taken to Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg to evaluate the technical and commercial viability. In that environment the company Minesto was founded and the technology has been developed since then, with several generations of prototypes tested fi rst in basins and since 2011, in the ocean.” So how does the Deep Green solution actually work? “T e technology is a unique marine energy converter, a subsea kite that targets the global low-fl ow tidal stream and ocean current resource,” explains Edlund. “It consists of a wing that is tethered to the seabed and that carries a turbine underneath. Our subsea kite technology converts kinetic energy to electricity by way of a unique principle similar to fl ying a stunt kite in the wind. T e Minesto kite uses the lift force of the stream fl ow to “fl y” across the underwater current,
Dr Martin Edlund, CEO of Minesto
pushing the turbine through the water at a speed several times the actual stream fl ow. Electricity is produced in the onboard generator and transmitted through the tether to seabed cables.”
BLEND OF UNIQUE AND STANDARD COMPONENTS T e main components of the power plant itself are the wing and, attached underneath, the nacelle housing control
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