Evopod

The power generation equipment is similar to that of a wind turbine and is housed in the cylindrical shaped watertight lower hull, which is deeply submerged below the water line and supported by small waterplane area surface piercing struts.

The two transversely separated aft struts provide the stability that is needed to resist the torque reacted by the single turbine/generator unit.

In comparison to other marine bodies that float on the surface of the ocean, Evopod's semi-submerged hull form is hardly affected by the passing waves.

[4][5] The 1/10 scale device was initially used to demonstrate the tidal test facilities at the Tees Barrage in Thornaby-on-Tees near Middlesbrough, UK by Narec (National Renewable Energy Centre).

[6] In 2008 a 1/10 scale Evopod device was installed and tested in the tidal flow through Strangford Narrows near Portaferry, Northern Ireland.

Over a period of two years the device collected data but was not connected to the grid under the Supergen Marine Energy Research Programme[7] in collaboration with Queen's University Belfast, amongst others.

The power is currently fed into the mains circuit of the Marine Laboratory, with plans to be fully grid connected in the near future.