Ship Propeller TechnologyTo Be Used in U.K. Tidal Power Project

A Welsh tidal power company is collaborating with a leading ship propulsion firm to develop powerful underwater turbine blades that can convert tidal power to electricity. To date, one of the main drawbacks of tidal power systems has been the inability of undersea turbines to withstand strong tidal forces. But Tidal Energy Limited of Cardiff, Wales is collaborating with a ship propulsion company that has designed propellers for the Queen Mary and Royal Navy destroyers. The new design, called DeltaStream, will employ arrays of three, short-bladed turbines that will sit on triangular frames on the sea floor. The blades turn slowly, to avoid killing or injuring fish, and if tidal forces become too strong the propellers tilt to deflect energy and prevent damage to the turbines. The first DeltaStream device is to be installed off the Welsh coast in 2010 and will generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. Experts estimate that tidal power has the potential to eventually provide up to 25 percent of the U.K.’s energy needs. The Welsh system is one of many tidal and wave power systems now under development worldwide.