DesignPro Renewables

Hydroelectric power from rivers

This company develops a range of small-scale, hydrokinetic turbines that enable users to harness clean, predictable energy from flowing water in rivers and estuaries.

The DesignPro Renewables hydrokinetic turbine is built on a unique concept: the device exploits a natural phenomenon whereby flowing water comes into contact with an object and is compressed and accelerated as it moves around it.

How it works:

The device acts as an object blocking the natural path of the water. As water comes into contact with the device it is compressed and accelerated as it diverts around the device. The fast flowing water pushes two hydrokinetic turbines either side of the body which generate electricity.

The compact design is simple and cost-effective. It is easy to deploy without major civil works, promising installation times as short as 3 hours for a 25kW system. For context, the average US home uses 1.25kW/ hour.

The platform is easily separable from the turbines, allowing for components to be fixed and reused.

Watch some of their videos:

'How does it work?'