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Tocardo International


Head office in NL
Phone: +31 227 726 200
Branch office in UK
Phone: +44-1847-808212/100
Email: info@tocardo.com

 

 
    Home | Turbines | Technology

Tocardo Technology

The Tocardo turbines resemble “under water wind turbines”. Because the turbines are completely submerged, a minimal visual impact is achieved.


Principal characteristics of the technology are:

  • Horizontal axis
  • Permanent Magnet Direct Drive generator; no gearbox
  • 2-bladed, fixed pitch rotor
  • Bi-directional patented stall-blade concept, no yawing
  • Technology aimed to generate energy at maximum reliability and the lowest possible TCE
  • Minimal visual impact
  • Very predictable energy output
  • On-grid and off-grid connection possibilities

Tides

Tides are caused by gravitational forces of the

Spring-neap cycle

sun, moon and other bodies acting on the water masses of the earth’s oceans and seas. The result is a very predictable, cyclic motion of this water mass over the earth, with an almost bi-diurnal period.

 


The tidal range resulting directly from these forces is just some 2 cm, but can become several meters in some place due to the shape of the continents. Hydrokinetic tidal energy technology (like Tocardo’s) is basically not interested in the range of the tides, but in the speed of the water, moving due to the existence of these ranges.                                                Visual explanation of tides

 

Compared to wind, tidal currents act at relatively low speeds. But water is 850 times denser than air and therefore it is economically viable to extract energy from currents from 1.5 m/s upwards. At specific locations, geography or bathymetry cause funnelling effects that in turn cause high velocity speeds of up to 7 m/s. This concentration of energy makes extraction more interesting. This occurs where coastlines bend, where water is forced through channels between islands, or where estuaries flow into a sea. Because of the predictability of a tidal flow, energy production is highly predictable, making it a reliable, high value energy source.


Rivers

Apart from tidal flows, river flows are interesting for hydrokinetic energy extraction as well. The energy source here is not the moon, but mostly the rainwater discharge through these rivers.