Vijay Kumar Hegde, engineer and head of Susi Global Research Centre, has installed a pilot tune-up tidal power plant, generating power through sea waves, on the Kadike Beach here.
The plant is presently run on an experimental basis about 250 metres from the sea shore. It is fixed on seven feet-high pillars. A drum — two feet in diameter and four feet in length — attached to it floats along with the waves.
Explaining the working of the small experimental plant, Mr. Hegde, who got a patent for it eight years ago, told presspersons here on Thursday that in the first stage of energy synchronising system, the mechanical energy of the floating drum moving up and down gets converted into continuous rotary motion by using ratchet and gear mechanism.
In the second stage, the mechanical energy is converted into pneumatic energy. In the third stage, the pneumatic equipment is coupled to the alternator to produce electric energy. The purpose of converting mechanical energy to pneumatic energy is to maintain constant speed of alternator irrespective of the variation in tidal waves.
The pneumatic equipment is coupled to the alternator to produce electrical energy in the fourth stage. The alternator produces electrical power by receiving the mechanical energy from air. His pilot plant uses float type mechanism, generating power on a continuous basis. It uses environment-friendly technology. Such tidal power plants can be located along the coastline. “My plant illuminates 19 LED bulbs of 5 Watts each,” he said.
Mr. Hedge said that there were plants with similar designs available in other parts of the world.
But many of them were more expensive. His pilot plant was suited only for high tides. He would build another plant prototype where power could be generated during low and high tides and during the rainy season.
“It will take at least three months and require 100 skilled persons including 12 engineers to build the plant. It is only after that a Detail Project Report (DPR) can be prepared for production on a large scale,” Mr. Hegde said.
‘Viable but challenging’
Nagaraja, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), who saw the plant being developed in Mr. Hegde’s workshop, said he had not seen the working of the pilot plant on the beach.
“But the technology of the plant is new and viable. His effort is laudable. But getting funds to realise it on a large scale will be a challenge. There has been no commercialisation of tidal power in India so far,” he said.
