UK-Based IT Power Uses Digital Prototyping to Speed Development of
Marine Energy Prototypes.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Apr 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
IT Power, an energy consultancy headquartered in the United Kingdom, is
using 3D design software from Autodesk,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSK) to develop innovative renewable energy devices
for harnessing wave and tidal power.
IT Power is the lead company in an EU funded project to develop the
innovative Pulse Tidal device. IT Power is providing engineering,
design, management and project management services to the consortium.
The Pulse Tidal device uses oscillating horizontal hydrofoils in place
of more traditional rotating blades to generate renewable energy. This
pioneering approach offers many advantages over existing tidal stream
technology by maximizing the area that can be swept -- and hence the
power captured -- in a given depth of water. This makes the technology
particularly suited to shallow tidal flows, while requiring smaller
support structures and lower installation costs than many competing
systems.
IT Power is also the lead engineer in the UK's Technology Strategy Board
funded Offshore Wave Energy Limited (OWEL) Marine Demonstrator project.
OWEL is developing an innovative wave energy device and the current
project will produce and deploy a machine with a target output of
500-kilowatt at the wave hub facility in the UK.
The Autodesk Clean
Tech Partner Program -- which provides software for emerging clean
tech companies in North America and Europe -- enabled IT Power's Marine
Group to use Digital
Prototyping technology to accelerate design of the mechanical and
structural elements of its energy capture systems.
Powerful Simulation with Autodesk Inventor
IT Power made extensive use of Autodesk
Inventor software to simulate the Pulse Tidal device's transmission
mechanism. Placing load data for the hydrofoils into a 3D model in
Inventor and running a simulation enables the team to rapidly optimize
the design of the mechanism and verify mathematical models of the system.
"Inventor has saved us time, effort and money," says Tim Twibell, senior
marine engineer at IT Power. "In addition to running these kinds of
calculations using complex mathematical models, we now have a compelling
visual means of verifying accuracy, simply by running these simulations
in Inventor."
Using Inventor has helped IT Power speed the development of a
preproduction 1.2-megawatt prototype of the Pulse Tidal energy device.
IT Power is also using Inventor to assist the mechanical and structural
designs of the OWEL device.
"As the need for renewable energy grows, companies must continue to
innovate and create the most efficient technologies," said Robert
"Buzz" Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing Industry
Group. "This is precisely what IT Power is doing by using Autodesk
Inventor to test its designs quickly and cost-effectively. We're excited
to help European clean tech companies like IT Power accelerate product
design and development through the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program."
About the Clean Tech Partner Program
The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean
technology companies by providing design and engineering software that
accelerates their development of solutions to the world's most pressing
environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and
Europe that can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping
are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for
only $50. Access to a collection of industry-leading Autodesk software
applications includes up to five licenses of AutoCAD
Inventor Professional Suite, Autodesk
Showcase, Autodesk
Vault Professional, Autodesk
Revit Architecture, Autodesk
Alias Design, Autodesk
Simulation and Autodesk
Inventor Publisher software. For additional information, visit www.autodesk.com/cleantech.
About IT Power Ltd
IT Power is a leading international energy consultancy that specializes
in sustainable energy technologies and policy, and related economic,
financial, commercial and environmental work. For additional
information, visit www.itpower.co.uk.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D
design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the
manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and
entertainment industries - including the last 15 Academy Award winners
for Best Visual Effects - use Autodesk software to design, visualize,
and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information
about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
*Value is based on up to five commercial licenses of each application.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Algor, Alias, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor, Revit
and Showcase are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.,
and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other
countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names,
or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the
right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and
pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
© 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
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SOURCE: Autodesk, Inc.
For Autodesk
Jennifer Ha, 415-547-2435
jennifer.ha@autodesk.com
Alyson Moses, 312-297-7430
alyson.moses@edelman.com
