Oceana turbine passes second round of testing

The second round of testing for Oceana Energy’s in-river hydrokinetic turbine was completed last week week in ACEP’s Power Systems Integration Laboratory.

The hydrokinetic turbine was tested under two isolated grid conditions, the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) informed.

The first test integrated the turbine system into an isolated grid created and managed by a 320kW diesel generator.

Under the second configuration, the turbine and an inverter created and maintained the isolated grid without additional energy support, according to ACEP.

During testing, Oceana Energy’s Chief Electromechanical Engineer Kent Davey collected data on real power, reactive power, voltage, current, turbine speed and torque, and power factor.

The third and final round of testing as part of the project, supported by the Alaska Energy Authority, will be conducted in January 2018.

Oceana Energy is a US-based technology company focused on developing marine turbines that produce electric power from flowing currents of ocean tides and rivers.

Based at the University of Alaska, ACEP is dedicated to applied energy research and testing focused on lowering the cost of energy throughout Alaska.