Safrema Energy, a Florida-based company, has developed an augmented turbine system comprised of two vertical axis water turbines.
The NEXUS, an augmented turbine system, features a trimaran hull which houses two improved axis water turbines, an augmenter system to increase the current velocity, and a special power generation system located above the waterline housing.
Safrema Energy has designed 2 m and 3 m turbines for the river configuration, 4 m for ocean between islands, and the 6 m and 8 m for ocean currents, in addition to the version for tidal.
The NEXUS turbine is designed to float like a barge, with each turbine being equipped with monitoring system that monitors the interior as well as outside, and below the water.
Navigational warning systems are onboard the device as required by marine laws and according to the coast guard instructions, Safrema Energy states, with sensors that monitor the movement of the sea and local weather conditions.
One NEXUS ocean unit has the potential to produce 1.2 MW per hour – enough energy to power approximately 800 houses.
Take a look at 3D animation of the NEXUS turbine.