Underwater Wind Turbines? bioWAVE System Designed to Create Energy from Ocean Currents
Picture a kelp bed on the ocean floor swaying in the current.
Done?
Now picture an underwater field of bioWave turbines (pictured to your left) doing the same. But, unlike the kelp, supplying one half megawatt of electricity. (In kelp’s defense, it does provide oxygen, food, and a place for the elusive leafy sea dragon to hide.) Using habitat inspired and environmentally friendly design (biomimicry) the team at BioPower Systems have designed, and are now testing, the bioWAVE and bioSTREAM devices. Devices that sway in tune with the oceans currents while producing clean, renewable energy. The Australian company has also focused in minimizing the environmental impact of each device as not to upset the ocean’s many delicate ecosystems. Or, as their website puts it:
These systems will reside beneath the ocean surface, out of view, and in harmony with the living creatures that inspired their design.
For a National Geographic video of the company and their device click here.
To view a demo of the bioWAVE click here.
To view a demo of the bioSTREAM click here.
I look forward to hearing about the progress of the company and it’s devices. I’m pretty positive “she’ll be apples” (Australian for, “everything will turn out well”).
Check back for updates.
…Since the tide is powered by the moon, can this source of energy be dubbed
Lunar energy?
Picture credit: BioPower Systems
with the earth’s surface covered by more ocean than land, this is awesome. don’t let the oil companies buy the technology and control it’s use.
Interesting concept. Water’s density makes it possible for devices to have a much greater power output per unit size than is possible for a wind turbine.
There will certainly be some practical challenges to overcome like corrosion, barnacles, and long transmission lines along the sea bed. I hope to hear more about the pilot projects planned for next year, but it should be pretty apparent that this is no silver bullet power source that is going to eliminate the major supply and pollution issues associated with fossil fuel use.
It has been said that the UK has one of the best tidal potential for renewable energy in Europe and I have started to see many great ideas like the BioWAVE turbines pictured above.
It is an exciting development!
It is great to see CleanTechnica.com promoting great ideas for a more sustainable and greener future… nice one!
[...] Wave Power and Biomimicry [...]
I won’t
For a long time oil companies had the upper hand, now, nuclear, wind, wave, solar and even tidal companies are taking the lead, and thank God, they are all low carbon and renewable and except for nuclear, sustainable! Mankind has risen to the occasion and will overcome the applications difficulties over the next few years and rid our environment of vile oil and its carcinogen the benzine molecule. Our beautiful females will no longer be in danger of breast cancer, and we will all breathe easier.