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The company has now produced a total of 5 "Expeditionary" scale prototypes for lab and field testing.
Initial tank testing of the first Expedition Volturnus Prototype began last fall to understand key performance characteristics of the shape at this new, small scale, which is meant to be deployed in the field to recharge equipment and power small electronics. These 40W units can be arrayed, just like the larger Volturnus, and with the delivery of 4 additional prototypes, marks the first time a full "V-POD" can be tested and deployed.
Verterra has developed proprietary generator technology to enable reliable performance for devices that can be submerged for years at a time, with little to no maintenance. The feedback from this first round of testing will be utilized to further simplify the generators and reduce weight. "Currently, the generators are about 12 pounds, the next generation will see a big reduction in weight" said Director of Engineering, Eric Newberg. Another key area of focus is to be able to generate meaningful power in flows below 1.5 meters per second, many technologies rely on very fast flows to generate power, which severely limits the number of viable locations.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone on the USACE team, Rep. McCollum and her Staff, and especially our team members who put in the long hours to get to this point. On to the next steps- stay tuned!
Verterra is on a mission to harness the power of flowing water in rivers, oceans and canals to produce abundant clean, reliable power for all the world’s people.
Volturnus is a vertical axis turbine that uniquely harnesses the power of flowing water by combining the working principles of centrifugal pumps & hydrofoils with a rugged, hydrodynamic design. Similar to an underwater 3D weather vane, VOLTURNUS works in harmony with the current to dynamically adjust once deployed. When installed in modular arrays or V-PODS, the technology creates scalable, low cost power from 50 kW to multi-MW arrays.
Based in St. Paul, MN Verterra is funded by mission driven investors and a multi-year DoD contract and is currently collaborating with the USACE on a strategic microgrid project in the US.
Phone: 651-315-8884
Website: www.verterraenergy.com