(Gaetano Stellacci) (ANSA) – Vienna, 9 Oct. 2004 – The diffusion of the Kobold submerged turbine, an Italian technology which produces electricity from marine currents, around the archipelagos of Indonesia, the Philippines and China, is the main objective of a project approved by the UNIDO, an UNO organization for industrial development in third world nations.
“The matter is now disseminating in those seas Kobold turbine farms, in order to convert marine current kinetic energy into electricity” stated Emilio Vento, responsible of the UNIDO project based in Vienna. UNIDO will finance the installation of Kobold turbines which will deliver electricity to all the small insular villages of the huge archipelagos of the three Asian Republics. So far the inhabitants have been subject to fuel generators. Now, just the sea surrounding them could become an ever ending source of energy. From the project in the Asiatic seas we’re waiting for the definite proof which demonstrates that all renewable energy contained in marine currents may be exploited in a profitable way, mostly if compared to other more conventional sources of renewable energy like, for instance, wind energy. Just to give an idea of the order of magnitude: in marine currents of only European seas circulates 50 billions Kwh of exploitable energy (the annual produced energy of the ENEL (the Italian National Electricity Provider) in Italy, to make an example, is of 45 billion Kwh). The Kobold turbine is an electricity production plant, currently the first existing in the world, consisting in a floating platform moored to the seabed. The underwater part of the platform holds the turbine. All the mechanic and electric parts are contained in the floating platform, that is the actual electric generator. The turbine is connected to an electric generator through an epicyclical gearbox. Thanks to a collaboration among "Ponte di Archimende S.p.A." chaired by Elio Matacena, the University of Naples "Federico II" and the CNR (Italian National Research Institute) of Messina, the Kobold turbine has been studied and tested. The result of the Italian research is considered to be the only initiative in the world really able to exploit marine currents, producing clean and renewable electric energy. In particular, during the last few years, the "Ponte di Archimende S.p.A." of Messina has built and installed a pilot plant 150 meters from the Straits of Messina's coastline, near the Ganzirri lake. Right in this part of the Strait the marine currents average velocity can vary between 1.5 and 2 m/s, that is equivalent to 3 or 4 Knots. The pilot plant, which works in the Straits of Messina using tidal currents, is useful in demonstrating on site all the Kobold's characteristics, its low environmental impact, the performances of the overall system and of all its parts.
Technically speaking the Kobold turbine is a vertical axis hydro-turbine which doesn't work through resistance like the old water mills, but through the force of lift, which is how airplanes fly and sailing boats move. The blades are vertically positioned and their oscillation angle may be varied automatically without motors or other external devices. Making it an extremely simple and robust system, necessary for an installation in sea, which is a particular hostile environment and any other electro-mechanical control device would need periodic maintenance, i.e. high maintenance costs.
Exactly what should be avoided in order to obtain a profitable project. The turbine's direction of rotation is independent to the current direction with a high starting torque, which enables the Kobold turbine to self starts and accelerate up to its functioning point. "In the Straits of Messina the underwater currents move at an average velocity of 3 knots - explained Mr. Vento to the ANSA - in the seas of the Philippines, Indonesia and China the currents average velocity is above 9 knots." There will be no environmental impact because the three-bladed turbine rotates at 9 routes per minute, so that any fish is capable of swimming through the rotor blades without being hit.(ANSA)
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