WaveRoller Uses Swinging Door for Underwater Wave Energy
The simplest ideas are best at harnessing underwater wave energy. You don’t want lots of parts in the harsh marine environment (for machine parts) under the ocean. Here’s an idea from a diver from Finland who was almost hit in the head by a shipwreck door that inspired this invention: the WaveRoller.
Now the EU is funding the diver; Rauno Koivusaari, with $4.4 million for his company AW-Energy to build the first full scale demo of his invention.
Each one at full size weighs 20 tons and produces 300 KW.
- » See also: World’s First Osmotic Power Plant Opens
- » Get CleanTechnica by RSS or sign up by email.
Each 20 ton WaveRoller “door” can be connected together in threes to make up a nearly 1 MW unit. Obviously you can make a modular farm of any size under the ocean of these three-packed units, so the output can be as much as you can build tons-worth of “doors”.
Koivusaari’s company AW-Energy has been perfecting the device for the last fifteen years. His half scale demos have gone well. This year we will get the results of a full scale demo built off the coast of Portugal, thanks to the EU funding.
AW-Energy’s WaveRoller uses the roiling currents under the sea to make energy from the repetitive surge motion at the sea floor in what Koivusaari calls the surge zone. The kinetic energy produced is collected by a piston pump. This energy can be converted to electricity by a closed hydraulic system in combination with a hydraulic motor/generator system.
It would be positioned on the sea-floor 21 feet to 75 feet below sea level so ships won’t interfere with it. Since it is out of sight; it is a Nimby-proof source of renewable energy.
Images: AW-Energy
Source: Blue Living Ideas
Related stories:
Underwater Kite Harnesses Wave Energy
Reliable Wave Power Ensures Terrorism Protection
Australia Gets Wave Power Inspired by Oil Rig
Hydrothermal Vents: A New Renewable Energy Source
Follow at twitter
Definitely a good idea to absorb waves energy, but, will this gadget become another sea junks in the future? This is still another question remain.
Excellent news Susan, thank you!
I know what you mean Edward and I never thought about it until you mentioned it. However, there’s plenty of man made junk down there (ships, mainly!)which acts as artificial reefs for masses of sealife.
If there is no removal plan for all of these wave-powered projects, let’s hope they can find a use beyond life in this way.
That idea might also be inspired by another almost similar wave energy device, the Oyster from Aquamarine
Good idea.I hope it works out but i’m reminded of a device tested off of Scotland a few years ago.It was called “OSPREY II”(this was a working model) i think and it encountered a so called “once in a 100 years storm”.Even though it was made of 3 to 4 inch thick steel(this is a guess as i cant quite remember the correct thickness)it was twisted into scrap metal by the power of the sea.If i was the person responsible for building this thing ,then i would take a tip from the Victorian engineers and massively overengineer the thing.e.g. i live in Scotland,not far from the Forth Rail Bridge.The rail bridge has stood for over a century and will probably last at least another century(fine solid engineering work),while the Forth Road Bridge is needing replaced after less than 50 years(designed by theorists with no experience of life outside the university cloisters).