Australia Gets Wave Power Inspired by Oil Rig

October 22nd, 2009 by Susan Kraemer

Oceanlinx; another Australian wave power company that uses the floating oil rig as the model for its wave power began installation this month of its last test before grid-connecting a 2.5 MW unit off the coast of Port Kembla, near Sydney.

[social_buttons]

It should be sending power to the Australian grid early next year. Unusually, for wave power concepts, this converts the energy of ocean swells under the platform into air pressure which turns a wind turbine. The company’s previous demo in 2007 proved it works.

It seems like an odd way to harness the oscillating power of waves; powering a wind turbine on the “oil rig” above. It works by trapping a hollow airspace above the ocean; pushing up into a 100 square metre tunnel in the 500 tonne unit.

As the ocean swells it pushes the air up, forces air through the turbine; generating electricity, and as the wave drops it pulls the air down through the turbine again, once more generating electricity – so it powers the turbine both with the rise and the fall of each wave.

But because of its unique “wind power” approach the moving turbine parts of the Oceanlinx system are mostly above the water, and it uses no hydraulic fluids, so there is nothing to deteriorate in the harsh environment for moving machinery under the sea.

Like most other wave power schemes, this one is scalable and modular, so it could be scaled up to rival the 240 MW La Rance tidal power plant, in France.

Oceanlinx is funded by Sennet Capital in Honolulu, an investment bank that focuses on funding renewable energy developments.

One investor banker at Sennet who likes the Oceanlinx; Karl Stahlkopf, a former VP at the Electric Power Research Institute points out that ”The genius of their approach is that there are no submerged moving parts.”

Image: Oceanlinx

Source: Spectrum

Reliable Wave Power Ensures Terrorism Protection

Follow at twitter

Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.

Tags: 2.5 MW, 240 MW La Rance, Electric Power Research Institute, Karl Stahlkopf, Oceanlinx, Sennet Capital

About the Author

Susan Kraemer writes at CleanTechnica, CSP-Today, PV-Insider , SmartGridUpdate, and GreenProphet. She has also been published at Ecoseed, NRDC OnEarth, MatterNetwork, Celsius, EnergyNow, and Scientific American. As a former serial entrepreneur in product design, Susan brings an innovator's perspective on inventing a carbon-constrained civilization: If necessity is the mother of invention, solving climate change is the mother of all necessities! As a lover of history and sci-fi, she enjoys chronicling the strange future we are creating in these interesting times. Follow Susan on Twitter @dotcommodity.

Greg Elmgren

We have just begun.It is a new science, and with a little thought this generation should be able to rid itself of the dependence on fossil fuels.My personnel goal is to bring independence to the individual from the power companies. I hate paying monthly fees for electricity, propane, etc. My overall time line is 5 years to be rid of Georgia power. Solar comes to mind immmediately but wind and chemical reaction are not far behind. I also live on a tidal creek with incoming and outgoing tides. Surely the energy is right in my back yard. Now its time to figure out how to tame it.
Greg Elmgren

We have just begun.It is a new science, and with a little thought this generation should be able to rid itself of the dependence on fossil fuels.My personnel goal is to bring independence to the individual from the power companies. I hate paying monthly fees for electricity, propane, etc. My overall time line is 5 years to be rid of Georgia power. Solar comes to mind immmediately but wind and chemical reaction are not far behind. I also live on a tidal creek with incoming and outgoing tides. Surely the energy is right in my back yard. Now its time to figure out how to tame it.
k.w.pun

To oil rigs idea company, Congraulation on your bright idea from oil rigs,I stay in Hong Kong researching some clean power inventions quite related with ocean, my broyher and sister were imagrated as aUSATRALIAN 10 YEARS AGO ,I have visited them in Synedly some years ago.I get some4 methods much simplier than your heavy oil rig struture,see if you have the intention to joint ventrure with me and save a lot of money,Please more information about your company in to my email,we can discuss what would be your rewards to me as you have done to others. Waiting for your reply Thanks God Bring us together to save a lot of money yours Truely K. w.pun in 23/11/2009
k.w.pun

To oil rigs idea company, Congraulation on your bright idea from oil rigs,I stay in Hong Kong researching some clean power inventions quite related with ocean, my broyher and sister were imagrated as aUSATRALIAN 10 YEARS AGO ,I have visited them in Synedly some years ago.I get some4 methods much simplier than your heavy oil rig struture,see if you have the intention to joint ventrure with me and save a lot of money,Please more information about your company in to my email,we can discuss what would be your rewards to me as you have done to others. Waiting for your reply Thanks God Bring us together to save a lot of money yours Truely K. w.pun in 23/11/2009
k.w.pun

To oil rigs idea company, Congraulation on your bright idea from oil rigs,I stay in Hong Kong researching some clean power inventions quite related with ocean, my broyher and sister were imagrated as aUSATRALIAN 10 YEARS AGO ,I have visited them in Synedly some years ago.I get some4 methods much simplier than your heavy oil rig struture,see if you have the intention to joint ventrure with me and save a lot of money,Please more information about your company in to my email,we can discuss what would be your rewards to me as you have done to others. Waiting for your reply Thanks God Bring us together to save a lot of money yours Truely K. w.pun in 23/11/2009
k.w.pun

To oil rigs idea company, Congraulation on your bright idea from oil rigs,I stay in Hong Kong researching some clean power inventions quite related with ocean, my broyher and sister were imagrated as aUSATRALIAN 10 YEARS AGO ,I have visited them in Synedly some years ago.I get some4 methods much simplier than your heavy oil rig struture,see if you have the intention to joint ventrure with me and save a lot of money,Please more information about your company in to my email,we can discuss what would be your rewards to me as you have done to others. Waiting for your reply Thanks God Bring us together to save a lot of money yours Truely K. w.pun in 23/11/2009
Paul

It’s ‘hydraulic’ not “hydrolic fluids”
Paul

It’s ‘hydraulic’ not “hydrolic fluids”
Paul

It’s ‘hydraulic’ not “hydrolic fluids”
Paul

It’s ‘hydraulic’ not “hydrolic fluids”