Hydrokinetic Turbines

Hydrokinetic turbines (Hydroliennes in French) are an underwater adaptation of the wind turbine based on hydrokinetic energy.

After technical accidents, technological dead ends, abandoned projects, so the absence of referential technology, we must look at fundamental concepts to reach the lowest price for the kWh :

• A simple technology, minimizing the maintenance,
• Robustness / reliability : lifetime between 25 and 30 years,
• Completely underwater for a social acceptation of these turbines,
• Diverless concept.

Advantages of Hydrokinetic Turbines

• The tide is an astral phenomenon that we can precisely predict and we may calculate the power of the tide and of the turbine,
• Power between 300 and 500 kW, so it may be compared to the wind turbine power.

H2 Project in Brittany

On April 2009, 17th, H2 Project met J.F. Daviau, co-founder of Hydrohelix Company and manager of Sabella project. The Sabella consortium regroups 4 companies which are developing a model of these turbines. During a year, in Benodet, they tested their prototype: Sabella D03 and the results are conclusive.
The Sabella consortium is now looking for financial resources to produce Sabella D10, the industrial model, integrating all the Sabella technology. This technology distinguish itself from other turbines since it regroups all the fundamental concepts written above, and is one of the most promising.
This meeting allowed the H2 Project to better know and understand the concepts of Hydrokinetic energy, and by the way, to interview Mr. Daviau about the validity of our project (video in French).