Results of three-month Gulf of Mexico demonstration prove effectiveness of
power generation and water desalination from renewable resource of ocean
waves
MINNEAPOLIS, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a three-month
demonstration of Minnesota-based energy technology company Independent
Natural Resources Inc.'s (INRI(TM)) SEADOG Pump system, researchers from
the Texas A&M University at Galveston Marine Engineering Technology
Department released a report today validating the performance and output of
the innovative yet simple technology.
The report, which focused on a SEADOG Pump installed off the Galveston,
Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico, analyzed the pump's performance from
July 2007 to November 2007, tracking all weather conditions from calm days
to the Category 1 force of Hurricane Humberto.
"Most of the wave energy conversion devices developed to date
experience one of many potential problems due to factors such as initial
cost, operating cost, long rate of return, installation, and operational
and maintenance issues mostly due to the highly-complex nature of
structural and anchoring demands for the units. However, when considering
the SEADOG Pump, which was conceptualized and developed by INRI(TM), most
of the above mentioned potential problems are not present which can be
credited to the simple design of the SEADOG Pump. This further implies that
this device has the potential to become a good alternative energy
conversion device that can be easily fabricated, deployed and maintained.
Compared to other wave energy conversion devices developed to date, the
SEADOG Pump has a good potential to become a functionally marketable
machine in the near future," said Frank Warnakulasuriya, Ph.D., assistant
department head, Marine Engineering Technology, Texas A&M University at
Galveston.
Dr. Warnakulasuriya also states in the report that the, "Overall
effectiveness of the SEADOG Pump as a pump which converts ocean wave energy
was around 22 percent and is a very promising value for a demonstration
machine. The solid fact for this argument is that most of the
highly-engineered and well-improved wave energy converters pretty much show
similar values. The possibility of improving the SEADOG Pump to work at an
overall effectiveness in the range of 45 to 55 percent is visible."
In the report, researchers praised the pump's design features for good
mechanical efficiency that absorbs most of the potential energy and a
significant amount of the kinetic energy content in the wave. This report
further validates findings from a 21-day sea trial conducted in January of
2007 which compares the amount of energy SEADOG Pump can extract per square
mile of deployment compared to other ocean, wind and solar renewable
technologies. Because the pumps can be deployed in close proximity to each
other, INRI(TM) estimates that they will produce five to 20 times more
power per square mile than other technologies.
SEADOG Difference
Generally speaking, wave energy is captured by engineered devices or
components attached to stationary or floating structures that are set in
motion by waves or swells on the surface of the ocean. Most wave energy
technologies grow in cost because the specified equipment is sensitive to
corrosive seawater and has intermittency issues similar to wind and solar
energy. SEADOG Pump on the other hand, separates itself from other
technologies on the market by using a simple pump design with few moving
parts and no electronics. Multiple pumps are deployed in fields depending
on how much power or water is desired. In addition, the SEADOG Pump moves
large volumes of water to shore where it can be stored until needed for
energy production or desalination. This ability to store energy removes the
intermittency issues associated with other renewable energy technologies.
"We're incredibly pleased with the report findings," said Mark A.
Thomas, CEO, INRI(TM). "In the global race to find safe, efficient,
renewable energy sources, the ocean waves have shown great promise, but
have yet to be harnessed due to a number of challenging issues. The SEADOG
Pump addresses these issues and has proven, as this study shows, that it's
possible to extract this energy at a low cost, with the highest levels of
efficiency and greater benefit to humankind."
Energy System Also Provides Desalination Remedy
The lack of sufficient fresh water is a growing concern in many regions
of the world, and seawater desalination is increasingly essential; Texas
alone has more than 100 desalination plants. To further prove the SEADOG
Pump's commercial viability, INRI(TM) plans to launch an 18-pump field in
the Gulf of Mexico between Galveston and Freeport, Texas. This commercial
demonstration facility will desalinate seawater using the power generated
by the 18 SEADOG Pumps. INRI(TM) has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary
in the state of Texas that will bottle and distribute the freshly
desalinated water. This first-of-its-kind facility will demonstrate the
ability to use natural and renewable resources to meet the need for
additional global desalination capacity, which is expected to double in
size by 2027. Desalination typically requires significant electrical demand
(40 to 50 percent of operating costs can be contributed to electric usage).
Furthermore, desalination discharges highly-concentrated salt brine that
poses disposal difficulties and problems to the environment. Using the
SEADOG Pump in combination with new desalination methods, under development
by INRI(TM), will make fresh water production less expensive, more
accessible and without harmful environmental impacts or the large-scale use
of power generated by fossil fuels.
How SEADOG Pump Works
Most wave-energy technologies involve off-shore electrical generation
requiring the transmission of power to shore-based electrical grids. The
SEADOG Pump captures energy from ocean swells or waves to pump seawater to
land-based or sea-based holding areas, where the water can be returned to
the ocean through turbines, thereby producing inexpensive, renewable
electricity. Adding the ability to store the water and use it when needed
will allow the SEADOG Pump to be a primary source of power that can match
supply with demand. Other renewable energy technologies are considered to
be secondary sources of power due to their intermittency issues.
Preliminary estimates based on results from the sea trial suggest that a 1
square mile field of SEADOG Pumps could generate anywhere from 30 megawatts
to more than 1,500 megawatts of electricity on average, depending on the
wave regime. That electricity could power between 24,000 to more than 1.3
million U.S. households(1), while requiring no fossil fuel and emitting
zero carbon dioxide or pollution into the atmosphere.
About Independent Natural Resources Inc.
Based in Eden Prairie, Minn., Independent Natural Resources Inc.
(INRI(TM)) is an energy technology company that develops innovative
products used to generate power from renewable sources in a clean,
environmentally friendly manner. The company currently holds the rights to
a patented product that can generate power from the excess pressure
released by natural gas pipeline systems and the SEADOG(R) Pump system, a
patented technology product that captures energy from ocean waves. To learn
more, visit the company's Web site at http://www.inri.us.
(1) Based on latest U.S. Department of Energy statistics as of 2006.
The
average U.S. household consumes 11,000 kilowatt hours per year.
SOURCE Independent Natural Resources, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.inri.us
CONTACT:
Mark A. Thomas of Independent Natural
Resources Inc., +1-612-817-9497, mark@inri.us; or Paul Omodt,
+1-612-455-1732, mobile, +1-612-963-4359, pomodt@psbpr.com, or
Tracy Carlson, +1-612-455-1717, mobile, +1-612-232-6578,
tcarlson@psbpr.com, both of Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc., for
Independent Natural Resources, Inc.
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