New Wave-Pump Technology Successfully Hits the Water and Captures Energy from Waves
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Independent Natural Resources Inc. (INRI(TM)) pioneers new SEADOG(TM) technology in the Gulf of Mexico, offering power generation from renewable source of ocean waves
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 15 / -- Minnesota-based energy technology company Independent Natural Resources Inc. (INRI) today announced it is successfully operating and testing its new ocean wave conversion system in the Gulf of Mexico, off of Surfside, Texas, adjacent to the city of Freeport. The versatile SEADOG pump system can provide abundant fresh water when combined with desalination and produce clean renewable energy when combined with hydroelectric systems. INRI, formed in January of 2002 by CEO Mark A. Thomas, developed and acquired the SEADOG pump technology from its inventor, Kenneth W. Welch, Jr., and co-inventors Curtis and Harold Rothi.
Current testing in the Gulf of Mexico validates the results of several years of concepts and planning, showing the company's SEADOG wave-pump technology's potential to serve as a viable source of renewable power -- harvesting power from ocean waves.
SEADOG captures ocean-wave energy from swells or waves to pump large volumes of seawater to shore-based storage or sea-based platform systems while consuming no fuel. While there are many possible applications for the SEADOG pump, INRI is currently developing seawater desalination systems and hydroelectric energy generation.
SEADOG's size, configuration and pumping capacity varies depending on the wave regime, height and frequency. During current testing off of the coast of Surfside, Texas, a single SEADOG pump has experienced modest waves from 6 inches to 6 feet and has consistently pumped a range of 15,000 to 40,000 gallons of seawater per day.
"Our sea trial in the Gulf of Mexico has exceeded our expectations and we're confident our engineers have developed a new proprietary technology that serves as a safe, efficient system for gathering renewable energy from ocean waves," said Mark A. Thomas, chief executive officer, INRI. "Going forward, we're seeking actual ocean environments where we can place a wave-farm test field involving 14 to 200 SEADOG wave pumps. If the wave pump continues to perform as well as our sea tests have shown, we believe it has the potential to be a breakthrough for global energy production." Wave farms may range from 50 to 80,000 pumps and exist in sea states from 6 inches to 80 foot seas.
To create hydroelectricity, the SEADOG ocean-wave pump captures energy from ocean swells or waves to pump seawater to a land-based holding area or water tower, where the water can be returned to the ocean through hydroelectric turbines, thereby producing inexpensive, renewable electricity. Preliminary estimates based on SEADOG test results suggest that 1 square mile field of SEADOG pumps could generate anywhere from 50 megawatts to more than 1500 megawatts of hydroelectricity on average, depending on the wave regime.
Further tests involving an array of interconnected SEADOG pumps are slated to validate the SEADOG pump system's output, and would mean that wave-power is not only a viable renewable energy source, but that it can also compete with any other form of power generation -- while introducing zero carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The lack of sufficient fresh water is a growing concern in many regions of the world and seawater desalination is increasingly essential. The state of Texas alone has more than 100 desalination plants. Energy consumption is significant in desalination, sometimes accounting for as much as one-third of the operating cost of desalinated water. The SEADOG pump has the potential to make desalination less expensive and more accessible without the large-scale use of electricity, and in some cases no electricity usage at all.
The SEADOG pump technology also avoids many of the problems other ocean- based power-generating technologies are struggling with today, because the SEADOG doesn't involve any electrical components that can be damaged by sea water. And, because the device pumps water to a reservoir, it can store salt water or desalinated fresh water in the form of potential energy to generate power on demand, even if the current wave regime during a particular period is too low to generate power. These two factors represent key advantages of the product.
According to INRI's calculations, the company's wave-pump technology is capable of generating an average of 755 megawatts of hydroelectric energy for every 1 square mile pump field, assuming ocean swells averaging at least 9 feet. With swells of at least 5 feet, a 1 square mile pump field could generate approximately 242 megawatts.
"Coastal locations offering consistent wave heights aren't that uncommon," Thomas said. "We want to thank the authorities from the Federal, State, County and Surfside Texas location for providing us with all of the assistance on our sea trial project."
To access an online slide show of photos of INRI wave-pump technology, visit www.inri.us/gulf .
About Independent Natural Resources Inc.
Based in Eden Prairie, Minn., Independent Natural Resources Inc. (INRI) is an energy technology company that develops innovative products used to generate power from renewable sources in a clean, environmentally friendly manner. The company currently holds the rights to a patented product that can generate power from the excess pressure released by natural gas pipeline systems and the SEADOG pump system, a patented technology product that captures energy from ocean waves. To learn more, visit the company's Web site at www.inri.us/ .
Source: Independent Natural Resources Inc.
CONTACT: Mark A. Thomas, Independent Natural Resources Inc.,
+1-612-817-9497, or mark@inri.us ; or Paul Omodt, Padilla Speer
+Beardsley
Inc., +1-612-455-1732, or pomodt@psbpr.com
Web site: www.inri.us/
http://www.inri.us/gulf
