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Wind powered system for coastal nourishment (10 IT 53U9 3HBB)
Italian company specialized in metalworking and metallic carpentry has developed an innovative wind powered system for coastal nourishment, working up to 20m/s wind speed. The system is addressed to tourism and environment sectors (private operators or public administrations). It is now available at prototype level. The company is interested in a cooperation under joint venture or manufacturing agreements to carry out tests on beach areas, preliminary to the industrial development of the system.
Country: Italy
Type: OFFER
Date: 30.06.2010
Coastal erosion is becoming more and more severe due to global warming and consequent rising sea levels, as well as to human coast management.
All the techniques ever used to manage the land involved in erosion processes fall into 2 categories: hard engineering and soft engineering depending on whether they control the causes of the problem (e.g.: wooden or gabion groynes, Rock Armour) or its effects (e.g.: Beach Nourishment, Managed Retreat).
Among the latter, an innovative solution, based on the use of a wind powered pump, has been developed by an Italian company.
Water lapping on the shore is drained through sand into a pipe, going to a tank. Then, a wind powered pump connected to the tank sucks water and pours it into open sea. The pump also ensures the vacuum in the pipe needed to drain water downwards, preventing it from flowing backwards.
The pump is wind powered and works at wind speed in the range 3 m/s - 50m/s. So the system doesn't require any external power source. The wind responsible for erosion starts itself the device.
A prototype is already available at the premises of the company, but it has to be tested on beach.
Innovative Aspects:
Usual nourishment techniques consist of replacement of beach or cliff material that has been washed away. The intervention is usually carried out once a year, after winter storms, before tourist season, when people arrive to enjoy the beach. An annual expenditure is required.
The innovative system proposed doesn't require a periodic start. It is self-operated by wind itself when erosion process occurs. For the same reason powering is free of cost.
Moreover, the use of a wind powered pump makes the system more durable than systems based on electric pumps, that are affected by corrosion processes. Also, no additional installation to bring power supply for the pump up to the beach is needed.
It is low environment impact because all components are hidden, except the pump that is placed in open sea.
Water drained through sand is given back to sea decontaminated, due the filter action of sand.
Degree of development:
Patents/Rights: Others
Requested Cooperation: Change in the partner sought's currently used technologies (installations, process, facilities), Joint further development
- Type of partner sought:
Companies, Public administrations.
- Specific area of activity of the partner:
Public administrations: Coast management.
Companies: manufacturing of systems for coast protection.
- Task to be performed by the partner sought:
Public administrations: make available beach areas to carry out field tests of the prototype.
Companies: find areas to jointly test the prototype and next start the industrial development of the system on their own or jointly with the developer.
Type of Organisation:
Status: NEW
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