Vortex Hydropower is designing a fighter aircraft-inspired breakthrough in clean energy.

Vortex energy harvesting.

Small hydropower promises more reliable energy than wind and solar, but low electricity outputs have stalled the water equivalent of rooftop solar.

We are developing fighter aircraft-inspired technology to achieve a step change in the efficiency of small hydroelectric power systems. 

We are the first organization to harvest the vortex energy of wing rock motion in slender delta wings to generate hydroelectric power.

Instead of controlling this naturally occurring phenomenon, as in jets, we increase and capture its power in a small hydroelectric generator.

 

We aim to unlock a step change in the efficiency of small hydroelectric power using an untapped aeronautical phenomenon with high energy density.

This would accelerate the clean energy transition and potentially provide essential electricity to 100s of millions of people in rural communities without it.

 

We are currently identifying the optimum configuration for our fighter aircraft-inspired approach to hydroelectric system design. Our baseline configuration is calculated to produce 1,500 foot pounds of torque.

The system has three parts (Hydro Accelerator, Vortex Extraction, Turbine Extraction), each of which we are optimizing through exhaustive tests in our dynamic water tunnel research facility.

 

Vortex Hydropower grew out of discussions about unsteady aerodynamics between Naval Postgraduate School Distinguished Professor Emeritus Max Platzer and Andrew Skow, an aeronautical engineer, aerospace executive, and entrepreneur who was recipient of the prestigious Wright Brothers Medal.

Platzer and Skow are joined on the team by repeat startup founder Geoffrey Skow and Brooke Smith, who was Chief Scientist and Senior Engineer for Aeronautical Technology at Andrew Skow’s first company, Eidetics International.

We’d love to hear from you.