Adept Engineering is no stranger to designing products for harsh environments. Whether we’re applying our engineering experience and skill to making machines that will function under the sea or its surface, Adept understands all the ramifications and challenges of undersea environments. From periscope technology to marine lighting or a simple LED driver to multi million-dollar instruments, Adept Engineering can do it all and ensure it works perfectly in even the harshest aquatic environment.
One such project was a support pylon for a hydrokinetic generator. Marine Hydrokinetic Power (MHK) is attracting more attention around the globe as new, environmentally friendly energy generation sources are sought. Underwater generators that harness tidal currents can provide a steady, predictable, abundant source of energy.
A green energy company hired Adept Engineering to design and create a pylon for their newest hydrokinetic generator. While the pylon would be similar to the pylons used for wind turbines with similar loading constraints, the difference in environment would call for specialized engineering to ensure it would last in the harsh, underwater environment. The pylon also required the ability to be mass-produced on a large scale.
Design specifications for this project included:
- Minimum life expectancy of 20 years
- Waterproof and corrosion resistant
- Able to withstand thrust loads of thousands of kilo-Newtons and tidal current rotational oscillations
Using sound engineering knowledge and decades of experience, the Adept team successfully created a pylon made from a special grade of steel with a specialized coating so it could withstand its underwater environment. Talk to Adept Engineering about fulfilling your marine product engineering needs.
