Over 2000 years in review: Revival of the Archimedes Screw from Pump to Turbine

The Archimedes Screw turbine currently has a variety of operational modes: inclined, horizontal or submerged. These new devices have the possibility to unlock a wide range of applications. The submerged tidal stream device can operate in low flow velocities (1 m/s) that current devices are unable to. The inclined and horizontal turbines offer greatly reduced environmental effects and can be used in areas previously passed over because of delicate habitats. However, there are still more potential uses, for example in tidal range or tidal fence situations, although research for use in these methods are currently only in the initial stages with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and scale modelling required to prove the validity.