This video is a compressed version of the one produced by Brainstorm for the Tidal Current Power Project. It documents the partners and the process along the way in the establishment of the Turbine Project . (released January 19, 2007 to correspond with the visit of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Lester Pearson College and Race Rocks. )
Category Archives: Technology
The Tidal Current Energy Project at Race Rocks
This video is a compressed version of the one produced by Brainstorm for the Tidal Current Power Project. It documents the partners and the process along the way in the establishment of the Turbine Project . (released January 19, 2007 to correspond with the visit of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Lester Pearson College and Race Rocks.)
Upper Piling Installation for the Tidal Energy Current Project
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- Another barge in position to install the top pilingnicode
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- Top piling on deck
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- The bottom end of the top piling
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- The top side of the top piling where the cradle for the turbine will insert
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- Whole view of top piling
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- Top piling being lifted for installation
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- The divers from CanPac spend several dives torquing the bolts .
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- …which attach the upper piling to the lower piling.
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- Chief Engineer Russ Stothers of Clean Current looks on..
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- Dan and his partner make two quick dives to take advantage of the short slack water time.
Images by Gary Bouman, Garry Fletcher and Chris Blondeau
Installation of the tidal Current Generator at Race Rocks, Sept, 2006
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- September 27 2006 was a calm day as the crew positioned the turbine for installation
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- The lowering of the turbine begins.
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- Half way into the water
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- A day of minimum tides had been chosen. One of the few in September.
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- Submerged.
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- The turbine is lowered about 8 meters to mate up with the top piling.
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- Underwater, Can Pac diver Brian has the job of lining it up with the hole on the top piling and tightening attachment. A camera on his helmet guides the positioning of the barge above.
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- The bottom of the turbine after installation.
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- Brian returning to the surface.
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- The hard-hat is quickly removed
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- And a big smile denotes success in a successful mission.
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- The Clean Current crew and the group picture afterwards.
Integrated Energy Project Update-Record of Events
With the Pearson College – EnCana – Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks now fully underway, we are seeing a variety of activities in the preparation for the tidal generator and other components of the Integrated Energy System at Race Rocks. Look for the most recent updates at the top of this page.
END of Tidal Energy project and removal of Turbine
In the late summer of 2009, Pearson College installed six new 165 watt solar panels to add to the existing bank of 38 panels on the energy centre.
Redeployment of the Tidal Energy Turbine October 2008
April, 2007.The tidal energy turbine is raised to change the bearings which had been deteriorating faster than expected.
Cementing anchor bolts to the roof January 17, 2007
Installaton of solar panels January 25,2007
PM Stephen Harper visits Race Rocks for an “ecoenergy announcement” Jan 19, 2007
Installation of the turbine Sept. 27, 2006
Testing of the Turbine in Pedder Bay
Installation of the turbine control unit
Laying of the cable to shore Aug.20-22, 2006
Installation of upper part of the piling
Installation of bottom part of the piling
Drilling Problems encountered in installation of the tidal current energy Piling
Installation of the Anchors for Drilling for the Tidal Current Energy Project
Dredging the overburden for the tidal energy installation.
The following on this page still need more work reconnecting links
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The Race Rocks Weather
Instrument is installed at Race Rocks, Oct.26, 2005
Instrument is installed at Race Rocks, Oct.26, 2005
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| Dredging the overburden | Deployment of Anchors for the Piling July 16, 2006 |
Drilling |
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| Underwater Sensors at RR |
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| Students of Pearson College help with transferring 96 storage batteries March 10-12, 2006 |
Battery Installation, March 2006 |
Electronic equipment arrives March, 2006 |
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| January 2006: preliminary work on piling installation | Preliminary work for Cable laying and Pile Drilling..Nov 2005 | Succession Studies on Different Substrates, summer, 2005 |
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| The Race Rocks Weather Instrument is installed at Race Rocks, Oct.26, 2005 |
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Link to the Tidal Energy part of the Integrated Energy Project Index |
Turbine Control Installation for the Tidal Current Energy Project
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- The first panel is unloaded from the “Beecher Bay Bee” barge.CAMERA
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- from the “Beecher Bay Bee” barge. Mike runs the winch to lift the control panelsCAMERA
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- The Control Unit is hoisted onto the dock at Race Rocks
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- Images by Gary Fletcher, gary Bouman and Chris Blondeau
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- Mike and Carol on the docks
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- Virgil explains the operation of the starting motor
Problems in the Installation of the Piling for the Tidal Energy Project
Not every aspect of the tidal Current energy project went perfectly without problems. At one point the project was within hours of being called off. A replacement drill bit had to be flown in and weather conditions threatened to suspend operation. The most difficult stage in the installation was the breaking of the drill casing and drill bit. One morning when attempting to attach the barge, the casing which by this time was sunk in the bedrock, twisted off, trapping the drill bit in the ground.
The conditions in August were marginal for the work at sea.
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- The drill bit is removed from the casing filled with rock fragments
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- The cutting torch is used to open the casing
The most amazing part of thew process was that whatever the problems, the engineers proved to be very capable in meeting the challenge and coming up with a problem. This was particularly impressive in that it was the first kind of such an exercise and it was in an ecologically sensitive area at a time of year when weather could cause a stop to the process.
Cable laying for the Tidal Current Turbine Project
On August 20, 2006 the cable laying boat was deployed to start the process of laying the four electrical cables and a fibre optic cable which will take the energy generated by the turbine to the energy building on Race Rocks.
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- The bow of the cable-laying boat docked at Pearson College
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- The cable was mounted on this drum. Four cables, each over 400 meters were to be installed.
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- The barge is pulled by tugboat out to Race Rocks for the beginning of the cable laying.
The cable laying barge is towed to the site to begin laying the cables
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- A california sea lion looks on.
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- Cable coming off the spool
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- A sea Urchin near the path of the cable
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- A kelp greenling inspects the electrical conduit
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- At the end of the docks, Chris and Mike installed a set of concrete blocks
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- These blocks serve to protect the cable from the storm surges in the winter
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- This is the most vulnerable area for exposure of the cable where the transition from sea to land occurs.
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- Side profile of the concrete protector
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- The bundled cable arrives from the seafloor into the trench near the boathouse where it will be sealed.
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- Mike slater had spent some time creating a trench in the concrete for the running of the cable from the docks to the boat house.
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- Mike adjusts the bundle of conduits for additional wires, water intake and the electrical cables so they can be sealed in with concrete
Photos taken by Mike Slater, Chris Blondeau and Garry Fletcher
The Lantern Room at Race Rocks
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- In pictures from our history file, dated 1875 and 1915, the original lantern cage was in place.
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- This artist’s interpretation from original plans show the lantern cage with the large glass lens Sometime, probably in the 1920’s the first lantern cage was replaced with a new steel model. We think t
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- Sometime, probably in the 1920’s the first lantern cage was replaced with a new steel model. We think that this corresponds to the change from oil lamps to an electric beacon.
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- Today,the lantern room is essentially the same as it has been for over 75 years
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- See this file on the lights of the Race Rocks Station
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- This metal plaque on the upper south side of the current lantern room was placed by the manufacturer, the Corbet Foundry & Machine Co.of Owen Sound.
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- The City Heritage Register of Owen Sound gives the details of the Corbet Foundry.http://city.owen-sound.on.ca/planning/collection-heritage.php?ID=157
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- These iron straps, now corroded help to anchor the lantern room to the sandstone walls.Update: In 2009 the tower was completely renovated and repaired by DFO.
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- The short ladder to the trap door of the lantern room from the small equipment room underneath.
Web Cams gone Wild – The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer Monday April 4 2006 Note the webcams at race Rocks are listed in the listing of webcams on the last page
