Dr. Yih-Ho Michael Pao
A Windpower Pioneer,
New Invention on Floating-Vertical-Axis-Wind-Turbines
He is a creative thinker
He is a technology innovator
He was called the “Father of WaternifeTM ”
He was elected a Member of National Academy of Engineering USA in 2000
He has created 3 new industries: waterjet machining industry; trenchless industry; and waterjet surface treatment industry
He was cited by a leading French industrial technology journal in 1998 as one of 100 important innovators for the past 40 years
His company received the Top National Award for Energy Innovation from the US Dept of Energy
He created the concept of Floating-Windfarms-at-SeaTM
He is a successful entrepreneur – formed 6 technology-based companies, and taken 3 of them public
He is a successful industrialist – served as the CEOs of 3 public companies, listed on NASDAQ national market, and most importantly,
He has developed better tools and energy sources for the society, by developing and commercializing new technologies:
- Waterjet Technology – developed the ultrahigh-pressure waterjets and abrasive-waterjets into better tools for industrial cutting, drilling, and milling, especially for flexible factory automation; and created the new waterjet machining industry and waterjet surface treatment industry.
- Trenchless Technology – developed the guided, rotating, high-pressure mud-jets into better tools for horizontal directional drilling for the low-cost, trenchless installation of underground cables and pipes with minimal surface disruption; and ushered in the modern trenchless industry.
- Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Technology – developed, jointly with Sandia National Labs, the low-cost vertical axis wind turbines into better tools for converting wind over land to ‘green’ electricity. His company, FloWind, joint with Sandia, received the top national award for energy innovation for 1984, from the U. S. Dept of Energy.
- Advanced Wet-Blasting Technology – developed the advanced wet-blasting technology into a better tool for surface preparation, without generating airborne dust or hot sparks – replace the hazardous grid blasting.
He has come out of retirement; and formed ecoPower to develop a powerful new tool for the society:
- Floating-Windfarm-at-SeaTM – to develop the Floating-Windfarm-at-SeaTM into a better tool for converting the rich wind energy resources at sea to low-cost ‘green’ electricity.
Developing Better Tools and Energy Sources for the Society
Over the past 30 years, Dr. Y H Michael Pao has developed better tools and energy sources for the society (see the summary above); and created three new industries – waterjet machining industry; trenchless industry; and waterjet surface treatment industry. In the process, he has formed six technology-based companies in the US, served as their CEOs, and listed three of them on NASDAQ National Market. One of them, FLOW International, when it went public in 1983, was the 3rd best performing IPO for that year, according to Barron’s.
Dr. Pao has come out of retirement, and formed ecoPower to develop a powerful new tool for the society –
To develop the Floating-Windfarm-at-SeaTM into a better tool for converting the rich wind energy resources at sea to low-cost ‘green’ electricity.
Formative Years at the Boeing Company
Dr. Pao received his doctor of engineering degree in fluid mechanics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1962. After graduation, he joined the Boeing Scientific Research Lab (BSRL) as a research scientist in Seattle, WA – it was a newly formed basic research lab of the Boeing Company. At BSRL, he carried out basic research for flows in stratified media, especially for internal waves and turbulence in stratified media, such as in the upper atmosphere and deeper ocean. He also served as a consultant to many Boeing projects, including: the development of Boeing 727, 737, 747, and SST; the detection of clear air turbulence; and the detection of intercontinental ballistic missiles through their hot turbulent re-entry wakes, using phased-array radars. At Boeing, he learned not only how to carry out world-class research work, but also how to apply technologies to commercial applications – and the importance of making technology user-friendly and cost-effective! More importantly, at Boeing, he developed his inter-personal skills, his public speaking capability, and his management know-how. These laid the firm foundation for his business ventures later on. Dr. Pao said, looking back, these 8 years at Boeing were his most important formative years! Dr. Pao deeply appreciates the opportunities that the Boeing Company had given him.
Entrepreneur Years – formed 6 Technology-Based Companies, and took 3 of them public
Dr Pao left the Boeing Company in 1970, and formed his first company, Flow Industries, Inc., in the garage of his Seattle home, with a personal investment of $2,000. Flow Industries obtained his first research contract from the U.S. Navy – to study the hydrodynamic signatures of strategic nuclear submarines in the stratified deep ocean – a highly classified subject of the U.S. Navy. Flow Industries, formed at the height of the Cold War, was mainly a contract research firm for the US Defense Dept and NASA, and became a leading contract research firm for flow research. At one time, it employed more than 40 Ph.Ds, and engaged professors from leading universities as consultants, such as Caltech, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, UCLA, etc. With the help of Flow Industries as the think tank, Dr. Pao developed six-technology based companies, and served as their CEOs:
1. Flow International Corporation, which developed ultrahigh-pressure waterjets and abrasive-waterjets as better tools for industrial cutting, drilling, and milling. Computer-controlled waterjets and abrasive-waterjets have become major cutting and drilling tools for flexible factory automation. It created the waterjet machining industry. The company is listed on NASDAQ National Market (NASDAQ Symbol: FLOW). When it went public in 1983, it was the 3rd best performing IPO for that year, according to Barron’s. (Waterjet video on “Waterjet: A Modern Tool for Cutting, Drilling, and Milling,” which was broadcasted nationwide on July 20, 2001, by FOX Cable News in its Champion of Industry Program see www.ebao.us/media for Fox news video)
2. ADMAC, Inc., which developed ultrahigh-pressure rotating waterjets as better tools for surface treatment, including: the removal of old coating and rust from steel surfaces (of ships, vehicles, steel equipment and structures) for re-coating; and the removal of delaminated concrete from concrete structures for repairs (including concrete bridges and parking garages). It created the waterjet surface treatment industry, using ultrahigh-pressure rotating waterjets. The company went public in 1985; and was listed on NASDAQ National Market (ADMC). It was merged into FLOW in 1989.
3. FloWind Corporation, which developed, jointly with Sandia National Labs, the vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) as low-cost tools for converting wind over land to ‘green’ electricity, and received jointly with Sandia, the top national award for energy innovation for 1984, from the US Dept of Energy. (see www.ebao.us/media for a FloWind video)
4. FlowMole Corporation, which developed the guided, rotating, high-pressure mud-jets as better tools for horizontal directional drilling for the installation of underground cables and pipes with minimal surface disruption and at low costs. It ushered in the modern trenchless industry. The company went public in 1988; and was listed on NASDAQ National Market (MOLE). It was acquired in 2000. (see www.ebao.us/media for a HDD video on “Horizontal Directional Drilling using Rotating High-Pressure Mud-Jets”).
5. Waterjet International, Inc., which developed the advanced wet-blasting technology into a better tool for surface preparation (Newjet TM, US patent No. 6,181,503, Jan 2, 2001). Newjet TM removes old coating and rust from surfaces effectively, without creating airborne dust or hot sparks – replacing the hazardous grit blasting. Newjet TM is being commercialized by a German company, Mühlhan Surface Protection GmbH, in shipyards for removing old coatings and rust from ships for recoating.
6. FlowDril Corporation, which developed a new oil & gas drilling technology, using ultrahigh-pressure waterjets to pre-cut and weaken the rock for the drill-bit, and, thus, greatly increase the drilling rate, especially for drilling deep oil & gas wells through hard formations. This technology has not yet been commercialized.
A Windpower Pioneer
Dr. Pao was an early pioneer in developing large wind turbines. He is the founder of FloWind Corporation, and served as its CEO from 1981 to 1985. He led the efforts at FloWind that developed the 100 kW and 300 kW vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs), jointly with Sandia National Lab. The 300 kW VAWT was the largest and most cost-effective wind turbine at that time. For their contributions, FloWind and Sandia jointly received the top national award for energy innovation for 1984, from the U. S. Dept of Energy.
He was also an early pioneer in developing large-scale windfarms. He led the efforts at FloWind that designed, manufactured, installed, and operated 500 of these VAWTs over 7,000 acres of high-wind properties in two windfarms in California – one in the Altamont Pass near San Francisco and one in the Tehachapi Pass near Los Angeles, for a total power output of 170 MW (including those from Danish wind turbines). By the end of 1985, FloWind became the second largest windpower company in the world. These low-cost VAWTs operated reliably in California for over 20 years. (See www.ebao.us/media for a FloWind video)
In 1986, the oil price dropped to $10 per barrel, and the electricity price in California was lowered from 9 cents to 4 cents per kWh, which was way below FloWind’s cost of 7.5 cents per kWh. Subsequently, Dr. Pao had to sell his ownership in FloWind.
Returning to Windpower Industry
Dr. Pao was very ill, and retired in 1999, at the age of 65. In 2001, he learned to change his life style and diet (to Zone diet), and began to regain his health.
In late 2001, he began to explore windpower opportunities in China. He was invited to attend an ‘Inner Mongolia Investment and Development Conference’ in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, Sept 18-19, 2001, and gave a keynote speech at the Conference on “Developing the Rich Wind Energy Resources of Inner Mongolia.” Subsequently, he organized Enhancement Partners LP to explore the feasibility of developing large-scale windfarms there, jointly with an investment company of Inner Mongolia (sponsored by the government of Inner Mongolia). But, it was too early for China, where the power grid company insisted on negotiating its power purchase contract on a year-to-year basis, which made it very difficult to obtain any long-term project financing for new windfarms in Inner Mongolia.
Since 2003, Dr. Pao’s health has been further improved by taking high-dose fish oil daily.
In June 2004, Dr. Pao was invited to present his views on “Entrepreneurships in China” at the Harvard Business School “Global Leadership Forum” in Shanghai, China. At the Forum, Dr. Pao learned from several Chinese government officials that China was in the process of establishing a new “Renewable Energy Law” to encourage the investment and development of renewable energy in China; and he read a draft copy of the Law in Chinese. After returning from Shanghai, Dr. Pao formed ecoPower in Houston in July 2004, and, once again, to explore windpower opportunities in China. Seven months later, on Feb 28, 2005, China’s National People’s Congress passed the Renewable Energy Law, to become effective on Jan 1, 2006.
On Mar 3, 2005, ecoPower signed an agreement with the Municipal Government of Dongtai, China to develop large-scale windfarms there, on land and offshore, up to 3,000 MW. Dongtai is located on the windy shores of the Yellow Sea, about 120 miles north of Shanghai. The measured mean wind velocity on the shore of Dongtai is 7.1 meters per second, at the height of 70 meters. Its wind velocities offshore are expected to be much higher. Dongtai is Dr. Pao’s hometown. With the help from Enhancement Partners, on March 17, 2005, Dr. Pao received a letter of support from a London bank that the bank intends to support ecoPower financially to develop large-scale windfarms in China, up to $400 million in equity and debt, subject to certain conditions. Subsequently, again with the help of Enhancement Partners, Dr. Pao received an offer from a German bank that it would support ecoPower to develop large-scale windfarms in China, up to $1 billion in equity and debt, subject to certain conditions.
Floating-Windfarms-at-SeaTM
In October, 2005, Dr. Pao introduced the concept of placing the Floating-Windfarms-at SeaTM in regions at sea with strong wind, using a large number of medium-sized, low-cost, vertical axis wind turbines on submerged floating platforms (Floating-VAWTTM). Subsequently, ecoPower registered the trade marks both in the U.S. and China.
To develop the Floating-Windfarm-at-seaTM, Dr. Pao is organizing a strong technology team in the U.S., applying the best American technologies in applied mechanics, aerodynamics, composite materials, variable speed generators, power electronics, and offshore platforms, to develop a reliable, medium-sized, low-cost 500 kW Floating-VAWT that can be placed in regions at sea with strong wind. And, the Floating-VAWTs can be pulled below the sea surface to avoid the impacts of high wind and waves, in case of hurricanes or typhoons. He has invited his former VAWT development partner, Sandia National Labs, and his former colleagues at FloWind to once again join force with him. In addition, he has invited several leading experts as Senior Advisors to ecoPower, including:
· Professor Su Su Wang, a Distinguish Professor of University of Houston. Prof Wang is a leading expert in composite materials for offshore structures. He is the Director, Center for Composites and Engineering Application for offshore structures, University of Houston. He is also the director-designate for the newly created National Testing Center for Large Wind Turbines, in Houston.
· Professor I. J. Wygnanski, Member, National Academy of Engineering USA. Professor Wygnanski is a world renowned scholar in turbulence and a leading expert in boundary control.
· Dr. K. Benjamin Su, President of Target Solutions, LLC, has many years of experience with the DuPont Company in the development and manufacturing of advanced composite structures and components.
· Professor Steven Pei, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics, and Deputy Director of Texas Center for Advanced Materials at the University of Houston. He was formerly the Associate Dean of Engineering for Research at the University of Houston, and a Dept Head at the AT&T Bell Labs at Murray Hill, NJ, USA
The goal is to lower the cost of electricity from Floating-Windfarms-at-seaTM below the cost of coal-electricity in five years, at an estimated development cost of $3 billion. If successful, wind-at-sea can replace fossil fuels as the principal source of energy for electricity generation, and low-cost electricity from wind-at-sea can replace gasoline as the principal source of energy for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Floating-Windfarms-at-Sea TM, when fully developed and implemented, will enable us to take a giant step beyond fossil fuels, and greatly reduce the global energy, air pollution, and climate change problems. In addition, it will greatly reduce the basic conflict between the Islamic extremists and the West – the control of oil supplies. It will make the world a cleaner, safer, and better place to live!
