Independent Natural Resources Inc.'s (INRI(TM)) new SEADOG(TM) technology
begins three-month demonstration in Gulf of Mexico with Texas A&M
University's documentation, offering power generation and water
desalination from renewable source of ocean waves
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ - Minnesota-based energy technology
company Independent Natural Resources Inc. (INRI(TM)) today announced it is
conducting a three-month demonstration of its SEADOG(TM) technology in the
Gulf of Mexico, off of Galveston, Texas, under supervision and
documentation from the Texas A&M University at Galveston Marine Engineering
Technology Department. The versatile SEADOG(TM) Pump system can provide
abundant fresh water when combined with desalination and produce clean
renewable energy when combined with a variety of turbine-driven systems.
INRI(TM), formed in January of 2002 by CEO Mark A. Thomas, developed and
acquired the SEADOG(TM) Pump technology from its inventor, Kenneth W.
Welch, Jr., and co-inventors Curtis and Harold Rothi.
SEADOG(TM) captures ocean-wave energy from swells or waves to pump
large volumes of seawater to shore-based storage or sea-based platform
systems while consuming no fuel. February 2007 ocean trial testing off the
coast of Freeport/Surfside Beach, Texas, validated the results of several
years of concepts and planning, showing the company's SEADOG(TM) Pump
wave-pump technology as a viable means of harvesting renewable power from
ocean waves.
"As a wave energy collector, its simplicity, apparent efficiency and
effectiveness is commendable and can be placed among the best available
wave energy collectors to date," said Frank Warnakulasuriya, Ph.D.,
assistant head of the department, Marine Engineering Technology, Texas A&M
University at Galveston.
The size, configuration and pumping capacity of SEADOG(TM) varies
depending on the wave regime, height and frequency. During testing off of
the coast of Surfside Beach/Freeport, Texas, a single SEADOG(TM) Pump has
experienced modest waves from 6 inches to 8 feet and has consistently
pumped a range of 2,000 to 50,000 gallons of seawater per day.
"Our initial sea trial in the Gulf of Mexico exceeded our expectations,
and we're excited to partner with Texas A&M University to supervise and
document SEADOG(TM) Pump performance and utilize their contribution toward
final design and material specification," said Mark A. Thomas, CEO,
INRI(TM). "Going forward, we're seeking actual ocean environments where we
can place a demonstration wave-farm test field involving 9 to 200
SEADOG(TM) Pump wave pumps. If the wave pump continues to perform as well
as our sea trials have shown, we believe it has the potential to be a
breakthrough for global energy production." Wave farms may range from 50 to
80,000 pumps and exist in sea states from 6 inches to 80 foot seas.
How SEADOG(TM) Pump Works:
Most wave-energy technologies involve off-shore electrical generation
requiring the transmission of power to shore-based electricity grids. These
technologies involve costly, complex equipment that is sensitive to
corrosive seawater and has the intermittency issues similar to wind and
solar. SEADOG(TM) uses a different approach with a simple pump design with
few moving parts and no electronics.
To generate electricity, the SEADOG(TM) Pump ocean-wave pump captures
energy from ocean swells or waves to pump seawater to a land-based holding
area, where the water can be returned to the ocean through turbines,
thereby producing inexpensive, renewable electricity. Preliminary estimates
based on SEADOG(TM) sea trial results suggest that a 1-square-mile field of
SEADOG(TM) Pumps could generate anywhere from 50 megawatts to more than
1,500 megawatts of electricity on average, depending on the wave regime,
enough power to run 67,000 to more than 2,000,000 homes.
The device pumps water to shore-based storage or sea-based platform
systems, and it can store salt water or desalinated fresh water in the form
of potential energy to generate power on demand, even if the current wave
regime during a particular period is too low to generate power.
SEADOG(TM) Pump Benefits
-- No Fuel Required: Pump operation requires no fuel or electricity and
emits zero carbon dioxide or pollution into the atmosphere.
-- No Energy Cost: SEADOG(TM) can significantly reduce desalination cost
as energy consumption represents as much as one-third of the operating
cost of producing desalinated water.
-- Adaptable and Scalable: The pump is an adaptable and scalable device
that can be configured for most of the world's coastlines. A system of
SEADOG(TM) Pumps can be designed to deliver the water/air volume and
head pressure needs of many applications, including meeting the
particular needs of different stages of the desalination process.
-- No Electronics or Hydraulics: The pump device contains no electrical
or hydraulic components which can be damaged by seawater and possibly
introduce pollutants to the water or air.
The lack of sufficient fresh water is a growing concern in many regions
of the world and seawater desalination is increasingly essential. The state
of Texas alone has more than 100 desalination plants. The world's
desalination capacity is expected to double in size during the next 20
years resulting in an installed capacity of more than 10.5 billion gallons
of fresh water per day. Energy consumption is significant in desalination,
sometimes accounting for as much as one-third of the operating cost of
desalinated water. The SEADOG(TM) Pump has the potential to make
desalination less expensive and more accessible without the large-scale use
of electricity, and in some cases no electricity usage at all.
According to INRI(TM)'s calculations, the company's wave-pump
technology is capable of generating an average of 755 megawatts of
electrical power for every 1-square-mile pump field, assuming ocean swells
averaging at least 9 feet. With swells of at least 5 feet, a 1-square-mile
field could generate approximately 242 megawatts. When comparing the
SEADOG(TM) Pump trial off the coast of Freeport, Texas, to other energy
sources, SEADOG(TM) showed 25 times more output per square mile of land
used than an off-shore wind farm in South Padre, Texas; 14 times more
efficient output per square mile of land used than the Pelamis wave
converters in Scotland; and 6 times more efficient land use than the Itaipu
Dam in Brazil.
To access an online slideshow of photos of INRI(TM) wave-pump
technology, visit http://www.inri.us/gulf.
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(TM) 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.
SOURCE Independent Natural Resources Inc.
 back to top
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, cell, +1-612-963-4359, pomodt@psbpr.com, or
Tracy Carlson, +1-612-455-1717, cell, +1-612-232-6578,
tcarlson@psbpr.com, both of Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc. for
Independent Natural Resources Inc.
|
