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Company Backgrounder

Year Founded: 2007
Viryd Technologies Inc (Viryd) was founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of Fallbrook Technologies Inc (Fallbrook) to develop NuVinci continuously variable planetary (CVP) technology for the wind industry. Viryd has an exclusive license to NuVinci technology for wind applications and is now an independent, privately funded company.

Business
Viryd is a “clean” technology development and distribution company dedicated to improving the performance and production of energy from power generating turbines and windmills. The Company’s initial products include innovative wind turbine drivetrains based on NuVinci technology that promise to increase energy capture, lower system costs and improve system reliability. In 2004 at the request of Fallbrook, NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab) studied the potential benefits of NuVinci technology in a wind turbine application. Its published findings showed a considerable performance benefit using NuVinci technology in lieu of a standard wind turbine transmission and power electronics systems (see NREL report). Viryd is currently working with industry partners to bring this breakthrough technology to the wind market.

Technology
Viryd applies advanced NuVinci continuously variable planetary transmission technology to wind turbine drivetrains. This dramatically improves a wind turbine’s ability to capture gusts and vary rotor speed to optimize tip speed ratio at all velocities. It is the first smooth, seamless-shifting drivetrain capable of handling wind turbine torque levels that mechanically produces up to a 400% ratio range, with rapid shifting over an infinite number of gear ratios. It offers all the advantages of variable speed power electronics (PE) at a lower cost, higher ratio range and potentially greater efficiency. There are currently over 300 patents and patent applications worldwide for NuVinci technology.

Market Focus

  • Small wind turbines – 1kW to 50kW
  • Drivetrains for small, home-use wind systems
  • Drivetrains for business and commercial wind systems
  • Long-term - drivetrains for utility-class wind systems

Ownership
The company is privately funded and privately held.

Executive Management

  • John R. (Jay) Bingle, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
  • Charles B. (Chuck) Backus, CPA, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
  • Martin Price, VP Engineering
Headquarters

  9701 Metric Blvd.  Suite 200
  Austin, Texas   78758
  Tel:   +1 512-879-2800
  Fax:    +1 512-879-2880

 

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