Jan 24
There’s a 2400kw wind farm in the distance.
Do you see the turbines? Do you see them?
Exactly…
Jan 15
Wave Energy Prototype
In 2007/2008, OSU, in collaboration with Columbia Power Technologies (CPT) and the U.S. Navy, evaluated 18 different direct-drive technologies, and down-selected to five promising designs. OSU and CPT built each of those prototypes at the 200W peak level and tested them on OSU’s new wave energy linear test bed. OSU and CPT also comprehensively simulated each of the designs, and scaled the simulations up to 100kW, including full 100kW designs with costs, maintenance, operations etc., to give estimates for total costs of energy for each. Continue reading »
Jan 15
Wave Energy Prototype: 'Pelamis'
There are multiple ways to tap the energy of the ocean, including its tides, thermal features, and salinity. But wave energy appears to be the most promising and closest to commercial production.
A new report from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) suggests that generation of electricity from wave energy may be economically feasible in the near future. The study was carried out by EPRI in collaboration with the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and energy agencies and utilities from six states. Continue reading »
Jan 15
European Wave Energy Atlas
An early study of the European wave energy resource was performed which indicated that the average wave power in Europe is highest near the west of Ireland with an average wave power of 76kW occurring of the Irish coast.
A more detailed assessment is available on their website.
Jan 14
Archimedes Wave Swing
Using a variety of innovative technologies, electricity is today being generated, via wave energy, in dozens of locations throughout the world. Wave energy is pollution-free and entirely, persistently, renewable. It has been estimated that ocean waves are capable of producing between 2,000 and 4,000 gigawatts of electricity, the latter according to UNESCO*. And, if that isn’t enough, every 15 seconds, or so, here comes another wave! (I like to look at wave energy in this way: In 2007, seven years into the 21st century, only one wave in every one-hundred-million-billion-gazillion, has ever been harnessed for purposes of electrical production! As anyone can plainly see, we’ve got quite a waves to go! Ha!)
Wave Power/Wave Energy (Ocean Surface Wave Energy).
[*] David Ross, now deceased, one of the preeminent authorities in the field, has stated, “Wave energy has been hailed as the most promising renewable source for maritime countries. It does no environmental damage and is inexhaustible – the waves go on forever. It is invariably popular with the public, which has a sentimental love of the sea… The potential resource is vast. It is usually estimated as being of the order of 2,000 gigawatts (GW), though UNESCO has put it at roughly double that amount. But what we need to estimate is how much can be gathered and delivered at an economic price.”
Wikipedia: Wave Power