Eco Factor: Renewable energy generating system uses ocean swells for power.
A team of researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Engineering have conceptualized Wing Waves – a pair of eight-foot-tall metal wings that flap to and fro when cradled by the ocean’s swells. The system works by tapping the elliptical motion of waves 30 feet to 60 feet beneath the surface, which is initially converted into mechanical energy and later into usable electricity.
Advocates of the system state that unlike wind turbines, this system is fully operational beneath the sea. Moreover, at a depth of 40 to 50 feet, the system works as sea fans. The creators believe that one square mile of wings, which will have about 1000 units, will be able to provide power to more than 200,000 homes.
The trapezoid-shaped wing stands eight feet in height and 15 feet wide, and each wing can sway 30 degrees from side to side and complete the arc in eight to 10 seconds. The prototypes currently being tested off the Florida coast are made from aluminum, but operational models would be made from composite material.
Via: MSNBC
