1st Quarter 2010
Announcement
The Board recently appointed Mr Ed Gibson to the position of Managing Director after the resignation of Vic Nikolsky from the role.
Funding
Funding is always the preeminent force to continued development of the turbine and Round 3 of the Capital raising is now underway with ASSOB. For further information please go to our investor section of this site.
Our turbine
Our turbine development program completed its second prototype phase at the end of 2009 with the testing of the device at San Remo, Victoria, Australia. The results and the data collected were invaluable which will now enable the succession to the next and final prototype, the T3. The development and testing of the T3 device is planned to be the prelude to entering the marketing and manufacturing phase for Sundermann Water Power Ltd.
1st Quarter 2009
Funding
At this stage, we have sufficient funds to build and test the prototype and meet immediate
ongoing commitments.
Our turbine
Our turbine is currently under construction and this is progressing quite satisfactorily.
Some images of the construction are shown below.
Frame
At the time of this newsletter, the design for the floatation frame has been completed.
Testing
The testing process will be quite complex and there will inevitably be tweaking and adjustments to be made as testing takes place.
4th Quarter 2008
Prototype
As discussed previously, the prototype has been scaled to one third of the turbine concept combination. It is anticipated that it will produce 10 to 30kw of electrical energy depending on the flow rate.
Turbine
Design drawings of the turbine are complete and have gone to tender. The Company has reviewed the tenders and after consideration of these, has entered into an agreement for the construction of the prototype.
Generator
Preliminary estimates were that the generating unit would cost about $25,000. However, we have been able to source and recondition a second hand generator which should do the job at a fraction of the cost. The generator has been tested and appears to be fully functional. Our sincere thanks must go to Bryan Drummond, John McKinnon and John McCormack for assistance with testing.
Testing
The turbine will be accurately tested at different water speeds and conditions. One option being considered is that it could be mounted on adjustable floats and towed behind a vessel in open water. The company is at present in discussions with owners of suitable vessels.
3rd Quarter 2008
Funding and shareholding
More funds are still required before the company can construct and test the prototype completely. Fred Sundermann has transferred patents to the company. As Managing Director I have met with Australian Government officials regarding various options of grants available to the company.
Some background
As you are aware, the Sundermann Turbine we are developing is an electrical power generator driven by a submerged water turbine. The turbine has been specifically designed to maximize operational efficiency in slow to medium speed water flows of 6-12 knots. In operation, the shaft will be connected to a generator through a step up gearbox within a water proof enclosure. One of the unique characteristics of our turbine is the rotation system of the blades on the upstroke, which should greatly minimize drag.
Efficiency of the turbine is achieved by the tilting of the blades during the rotating cycle. Our turbine will be able to operate in the reverse flow direction, which makes it ideal for tidal movements. The turbine has been designed to fit into a shipping container. Container sized components have been designed to allow each to be locked to another so that multiple turbine units can be joined together to form a larger working unit. The company continues to get requests for information and suggested sites for the turbine on a regular basis.
As with any power generation facility of this type, the system will require a small electrical substation for voltage regulation either for direct use or transmission to the end user or power grid. The managing director has recently been in conference with experienced Electrical Engineers looking at the design and costing of the on land electrical componentry.
Prototype
Design drawings of the prototype are well under way and, subject to available funds, the company plans to commence production of a prototype turbine in the near future. Tenders for the construction will be called. In the observance of good corporate governance, tenders will be assessed by an independent consultant for this work.
A concept plan of three turbine units which should fit into a single container has been prepared. The prototype will consist of one of these modules. Thus, the prototype will be scaled to one third of the above turbine concept combination. It is anticipated that it will produce 30kW of electrical energy.
The company contracted a firm to perform computer-modeling on the design. Preliminary modeling has indicated that the power output of a large turbine should be consistent with the predicted and calculated output.
How will the prototype be tested?
The Board is conscious of the need for the test data to be clear and transparent, and that this data can be independently substantiated. The turbine will be accurately tested at different water speeds and conditions. One option being considered is that it could be mounted on adjustable floats and towed behind a vessel in open water. A concept diagram illustrating a possible testing regime for the prototype is illustrated below:
ABC Inventors program.
We are pleased to advise that the inventor has received an invitation to take part in the ABC Inventors program. The board has reviewed this invitation, but considers that it would be in the company’s best interest to have a working prototype in place before accepting the offer.
