The WPI turbine can be installed in any streaming water, but we have chosen some areas that will be our primary targets.

Downstream existing power stations.

From every power station there is an exit canal which is carrying the water away from the turbine. The water is moving slowly because the main turbine has transformed most of the power. However, from a lot of these installations the water has an interesting speed and will be ideal for the installation of a WPI turbine. This unused power reserve can be a considerable energy source if the right extracting device is used.
With the WPI turbine 50% of this rest energy can be caught and put to use. It means that a power station can have an increased production between 1-5 %, naturally depending on rest energy, but also on the number of WPI turbines deployed in the excite canal.
An installation in a exit canal is ideal for most power station companies because the user is always close to the turbine and can easily incorporate the turbine in its maintenance and production program.
They know how much water passes the installation and the annual kWh production is easily calculated. From this the price pr kWh and return of investment can be easily found!

The companies knows how to handle the product and the distance to a grid, the voltage that is needed etc.



Site proposal for a customer.

Rivers

WPI sees a huge market for turbines in rivers. The subject is complicated but can be summarized as follows.

Pro:
• Short distance to the market
• Low disturbance to the inhabitants in the river
• Low disturbance of the river side
• Low influence on the recreational and mercantile use of rivers

Contra:
• There can be a long distance to a national grid.
• The recreational value of the river can be restricted.
• The use of rivers as a waterway can be hindered.
• Anchorage is a problem.
• It must be found ways and means to protect the turbines against ice and flotsams.



The river Glomma. Site proposal for a customer.

Tidal waters.

WPI has also looked into tidal water possibilities. To develop trustworthy turbines for this application it will be needed large amounts of money and a considerable research time. There exist know-how from the off shore oil industry for parts of the problems, but still the following summary is valid:

Pro:
• Tidal waters are predictable and can be very strong, this makes it possible to determine the net yield in kW pa
• The power reserves are large
• The coupling of turbines and i.e. bridges will be an advantage

Contra:
• Most turbines types, except floating ones, will be submerged during some time, and therefore the maintenance and repair problems must be solved.
• There can be a long, and costly, distance from the turbine (s) to a grid.

Ocean Currents.

Ocean currents present a tantalizing and exiting challenge but WPI has evaluated the problems to be as large as for tidal water installations. There will therefore be no active investigation in this marked, from WPI side, with the present resources.