Avatar Water Wheel
Water Wheel Avatar (reincarnation) is a new concept consisting of a fully submersed, vertical axis water wheel which can harness power from low to medium velocity, uni/bi-directional water flows. Models with flipping paddles were prototyped and tested in Bath University (Avatar 1) and Newcastle University (Avatar 2).
From the findings of Avatar 1 & 2 tests, we moved on to Avatar 3, with its innovative new design consisting of a jaw-wedge paddle (patent protected design) to capture kinetic energy from low velocity water currents.
The latest version (4) of Water Wheel Avatar completed performance tests, in real conditions. Inlet velocity boosting vanes were also tested, which enhanced the performance significantly as a cube function of inlet water velocity. We have recorded consistent efficiency of 47% (of the kinetic energy of flowing water on paddles). With improved hydro-dynamically designed wedge-jaw paddles and auto adjusting inlet velocity boosting vanes, our target is to achieve efficiencies of 60%+
Water Wheel Avatar 4 Performance Tests
WW Avatar ver 4 gave 47% efficiency (shaft output) in real conditions. Velocity boosting inlet vanes (ratio 1=1.3) demonstrated significant enhancement in power, as a cube function of velocity. Avatar is targeting 60% efficiency with design improvements.
