Design Criteria
Strong, rugged, stable, efficient, good looking, reliable are all terms we would like to see used to describe the generating units.
By design we build a strong stable platform that can take the winter gales effortlessly and maintain operation.
By design we have built a low maintenance and yet efficient unit.
The approximate average household uses about 4 kw of energy (average consumption on a 24 x 7 basis) so we aimed to produce a small unit that will produce more than enough power to satisfy their need. We calculated that the small river sized unit needs to be about 4 to 5 KW per hour in generation. From here we looked at tidal flows and based on a generation period of 10 hours per day we decided we should build a 15 KW per hour unit.
Infinite Electricity Ltd believe that if the renewable power is more expensive than conventional power then society will reject it. Any renewable system needs to be competitively priced. As most of the cost involved in regular fossil fuel power generation is the price of the fuel itself, we start from a great position with FREE FUEL!
Hence, it’s the capital and maintenance costs that will affect the price. By simplifying the construction and keeping everything straight forward we have been able to keep our manufacturing costs down.
Simple designs and basic manufacturing techniques were essential to minimise cost. Here we went for carbon steel welded construction for the hulls, painted and preserved in the same manner as steel boats are. Thus, any carbon steel welding facility can make them.
Frames and paddles will be carbon steel and galvanised.
The AC generator will be totally enclosed. (A standard product off the shelf) By using AC generation the cable size is minimised when bringing the power ashore.
The expensive electrical components are to be on shore and account for 30% of the capital costs but are not at risk.
Through these efforts we manage to keep our capital costs within the standard cost per KW of conventional power plants. Installation costs are surprisingly low since they consist of only a few anchors and several lengths of chain, with a cable to the shore. Maintenance costs will be high due to the environment that the boat is situated in, but this is not excessive and is within typical costs.
Each unit is considerably lower in capital per KW installed than photo voltaic panels and wind turbines because we have predictable availability and lower maintenance cost.
The units can be moved around with ease and set up wherever a power requirement exists within a reasonable distance to the flowing water.
Units can be towed to a slipway or higher up the estuary. Anchor cables and power cables tied off at a buoy and left in place.
Insurance should be similar to that of a boat as costs are similar. (Lower if anything) The units will be build to Lloyds design standards
Mooring fees will be variable but should not be too expensive as the units are in areas not typically populated by boats. Costs can be negated by using the units as potential mooring for other craft.
Mae’n rhai cadarn, cynhyrchu cadarn, sefydlog, effeithlon, delfrydol, dibynadwy yw’r holl dermau yr hoffem weld eu defnyddio i ddisgrifio’r unedau cynhyrchu. Drwy ddylunio rydym yn adeiladu llwyfan cadarn sefydlog sy’n gallu ymdopi â gwyntoedd gaeaf yn hawdd ac yn cynnal gweithrediadau. Drwy ddylunio rydym wedi adeiladu uned gynhaliaeth isel ond effeithlon. Mae’r teulu cyffredin tua 4 kw o ynni (defnydd cyfartalog ar sail 24 x 7) felly fe wnaethom anelu at gynhyrchu uned fechan a fydd yn cynhyrchu digon o bŵer i fodloni eu hangen. Cyfrifwyd bod angen i’r uned maint afon fechan fod tua 4 i 5 KW yr awr mewn cynhyrchu. O’r fan hyn, edrychom ar lifoedd llanw ac ar sail cyfnod cynhyrchu o 10 awr y dydd penderfynom y dylid adeiladu uned o 15 KW yr awr. Mae Infinite Electricity Ltd yn credu os yw’r pŵer adnewyddadwy yn fwy costus na phŵer confensiynol yna bydd cymdeithas yn ei wrthod. Mae angen i unrhyw system adnewyddadwy fod yn pris cystadleuol. Gan fod y rhan fwyaf o’r gost a yw’nghlwm wrth gynhyrchu pŵer confensiynol yn pris y tanwydd ei hun, rydym yn dechrau o sefyllfa wych gyda TANWYDD AM DDIM! Felly, mae’r costau cyfalaf a chynhaliaeth fydd yn effeithio ar y pris. Drwy symleiddio’r adeiladu a chadw popeth yn syml rydym wedi gallu cadw ein costau cynhyrchu i lawr. Roedd dyluniadau syml a thechnegau gweithgynhyrchu sylfaenol yn hanfodol i leihau costau. Yma fe wnaethom dewis adeiladu corffwyr dur carbon wedi’u weldio ar gyfer y corff, wedi’i baentio a’i gadw yn yr un modd ag y mae cwchau dur. Felly, gall unrhyw gyfleuster dur carbon weldio eu gwneud. Bydd cadwynau ac ffrydiau yn carbon dur a galffanised. Bydd y generadur AC yn cael ei gynhyrchu’n gyflwr hollol gaeedig. (Cynnyrch safonol oddi ar y silff off y siop) Drwy ddefnyddio cynhyrchu AC mae maint y cebl yn cael ei leihau pan mae’n dod â’r pŵer i’r glannau. Mae’r deunyddiau electronig drud yn cael eu gosod ar y tir ac yn cyfrif am 30% o’r costau cyfalaf ond nid ydynt mewn perygl. Trwy’r ymdrechion hyn rydym yn llwyddo i gadw ein costau cyfalaf o fewn y cost arferol fesul KW i gyffyrddiau pŵer confensiynol. Mae costau gosod yn syndod isel gan eu bod yn cynnwys dim ond ychydig o angorau a nifer o hydau, gyda chebl i’r glannau. Bydd costau cynnal a chadw yn uchel oherwydd yr amgylchedd y mae’r cwch wedi’i leoli ynddo, ond nid yw hyn yn ormodol ac yn fewnol i gostau arferol. Mae pob uned yn sylweddol yn is yn y cyfalaf fesul KW a osodwyd na photofoltaig a melinau gwynt oherwydd mae gennym argaeledd rhagweladwy a chost cynhaliaeth isel.