Eco Factor: VIVACE converters to harness ocean or river power even at slow currents.
Oceans pack an enormous amount of energy in themselves. Researchers estimate that just 0.1 percent of the energy in the ocean could support the energy needs of more than twice the entire population of our planet. Concepts have always been developed to harness this tremendous force of nature, but some of them need high currents to generate electricity and some are a threat to the aquatic life. A professor in the U-M Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Michael Bernitas, has developed a better way to harness the energy of water – The VIVACE or Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy.
The device is a first that could harness energy from most of the water currents around the globe as it works in flows slower than 2 knots. While turbines need an average current of about 6 knots, this device can really shape up our future. The cylinder shaped device produces undulations in the flow of water, which are harnessed by a passive cylinder moving up and down on its springs due to the undulations or vortices. This mechanical energy is then converted into electricity.
Bernitas says that a few cylinders are enough to power an anchored ship, or a lighthouse. Bernitas also estimates that an array of VIVACE converters the size of a running track and about two stories in height can power about 100,000 households at the cost of about 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour.
The Dark Side:
Installing VIVACE devices on the ocean or river floor could not be as simple a process as it seems to be. Researchers say that the generators won’t disturb the aquatic life once they are installed, but installing these cylinders could pose a serious threat to the underwater life.
Via: UnderWaterTimes/UMICH
