EET turbine testing centre established

Elemental Energy Technologies (EET), supported by ATSA Defence Services, has been testing a new type of turbine at its Endurance Testing Centre at the Eraring Power Station, Lake Macquarie, NSW. EET develops a range of turbines for generating renewable energy from the movement of water in tides, rivers and ocean streams.

The testing centre was established to test the SeaUrchin SU550 turbine. Constructed in the inlet canal that provides cooling water to the power station, the variable flow rate in the canal - depending on electricity demand - was a suitable location for testing the turbine under a range of conditions.

The SeaUrchin SU550 turbine being lowered into the channel.

ATSA provided overall project management to the project, including the construction of a specially designed test frame, installation at Eraring and set-to-work of the turbine and balance of system. Its engineers also designed and implemented the data monitoring system, which included the measurement of water flow rate and monitoring of turbine rotational speed, generated voltage, current, power and other data.

“ATSA brought a professional and flexible approach to the development project,” said EER Managing Director Douglas Hunt. “Their experience in subsea engineering was very valuable in rapidly developing a system that worked first time in the current flows in the inlet channel.”

Becoming a part of the ‘Internet of Things’, the SeaUrchin data was webcast using ThingsSpeak in real time. This data, combined with other lessons learnt from the test program, is allowing EET to develop new types of turbines.