Research & Development
Current Work: Validating the Skimmer
Pterofin is currently working with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL) through TEAMER technical support to quantify the performance of the Pterofin Skimmer. NLR's team is running a 3D modeling campaign to translate the underlying biomimetic concept into decision-grade metrics — most importantly, a power curve and efficiency trends across realistic flow conditions. This is the step that moves the Skimmer from promising to provable, and it's the foundation for the prototype validation, pilot deployments, and commercial partnerships that follow.
Independent Testing History
In July 2021, Pterofin's application was selected as a Technical Support Recipient through TEAMER's RFTS 3 program. We worked with the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University to test a scaled model of the Skimmer concept and confirm predicted mechanical and operational characteristics, gathering data on fluid flow behavior and raw performance inside their water flume.
In January 2024, that work became public. The full written report and accompanying data are hosted on the Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository — you can view or download the Post-Access Report directly.
Expert Review
Pterofin's approach has drawn independent technical review from researchers at three institutions:
Pterofin has run preliminary spreadsheet-based models estimating output for both wind and hydroelectric configurations across a range of wind and water speeds. These early estimates have been encouraging — but they are modeled, not measured. Establishing a validated, independently confirmed power curve is exactly what the current NLR/TEAMER work is for, and Pterofin will publish those results as they're confirmed rather than presenting projections as proven performance.
Back to Products | About Pterofin
Current Work: Validating the Skimmer
Pterofin is currently working with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL) through TEAMER technical support to quantify the performance of the Pterofin Skimmer. NLR's team is running a 3D modeling campaign to translate the underlying biomimetic concept into decision-grade metrics — most importantly, a power curve and efficiency trends across realistic flow conditions. This is the step that moves the Skimmer from promising to provable, and it's the foundation for the prototype validation, pilot deployments, and commercial partnerships that follow.
Independent Testing History
In July 2021, Pterofin's application was selected as a Technical Support Recipient through TEAMER's RFTS 3 program. We worked with the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University to test a scaled model of the Skimmer concept and confirm predicted mechanical and operational characteristics, gathering data on fluid flow behavior and raw performance inside their water flume.
In January 2024, that work became public. The full written report and accompanying data are hosted on the Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository — you can view or download the Post-Access Report directly.
Expert Review
Pterofin's approach has drawn independent technical review from researchers at three institutions:
- Robert Breidenthal, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington and a co-inventor on the technology, has explained the underlying physics: unsteady aerodynamic effects — the delayed separation of the boundary layer when an airfoil's angle of attack changes rapidly — can produce higher lift coefficients than steady flow through a conventional turbine allows.
- Carl Baker, an engineer with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Technical Assistance Program, reviewed Pterofin's patent under DOE funding and found the concept effective at capturing energy from moving fluid, noting particular promise for low-cost, small-scale power generation in off-grid settings.
- Palmer Carlin, a senior engineer at NREL, reviewed and helped develop Pterofin's early modeling of oscillating-wing power output.
Pterofin has run preliminary spreadsheet-based models estimating output for both wind and hydroelectric configurations across a range of wind and water speeds. These early estimates have been encouraging — but they are modeled, not measured. Establishing a validated, independently confirmed power curve is exactly what the current NLR/TEAMER work is for, and Pterofin will publish those results as they're confirmed rather than presenting projections as proven performance.
Back to Products | About Pterofin
TEAMER is a collaborative effort between the DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), POET, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia), and the National Marine Renewable Energy Centers (SNMREC, PMEC, and HINMREC). Members of these organizations make up the TEAMER Management Team and Technical Board, tasked with providing the Network Director technical input and approval for activities within TEAMER.
