Fri 28 Oct 2011, 08:13 GMT

Tech partner selected for solar-wind projects



Japan's Eco Marine Power (EMP) has announced that it has selected Canada-based Corvus Energy as a strategic technology provider for a range of ongoing development projects including the Aquarius wind & solar power system for ships, the Aquarius eco ship and Medaka urban solar-electric commuter ferry.

A range of Corvus Energy technologies such as the AT6500 Energy Storage Module & Battery Management System will be incorporated into Eco Marine Power’s marine renewable energy designs.

According to EMP, the Corvus Energy AT6500 series battery modules are designed to offer exceptional performance for use in renewable energy solutions for ships and vessels. Each module has the ability to be combined to form a custom sized pack - from 6.5 kWh to multi-megawatt sized applications.

The modules can be configured in any number of ways to build the size of battery pack required. The CanBus communication port located on the AT6500 module provides the ability to do this. Each Installation is supported with a system controller to provide the management control to coordinate all the modules in a pack.

The EMP Aquarius System will incorporate Corvus Energy’s AT6500 Lithium NMC Technology thereby allowing energy collected via the solar panels to be stored for use when the ship is at anchor or in harbour. The Corvus Battery Management System (BMS) will also enable to energy collected from the solar panels to be used while the ship is underway as required.

The Aquarius System is designed to provide ship owners with a cost effective way to tap into the energy provided by the sun and wind. The system uses an array of rigid but movable sails to collect wind and solar energy which are positioned by a computer system taking into account such things as the speed of the ship and prevailing weather conditions. The system can even be used while a ship is at anchor or in harbour.

Greg Atkinson of Eco Marine Power said: "The emission of noxious gases while ships are in harbour or at anchor waiting to load/unload is a major environmental and health concern. By incorporating Corvus Energy’s technologies into the Aquarius System we can significantly reduce these emissions by providing a clean & renewable source of power for ships which can even be used when the ship is in port."

EMP will also utilize Corvus Energy’s Lithium ion battery technology for the Tonbo solar-electric HMP vessel and Medaka urban solar-electric ferry projects.


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