Green Options » waves

$4.4 Million for WAVE Energy Project in Europe

Zachary Shahan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:17:40 +0000

Solar Energy. Wind Energy. Now, Wave Energy. Reminds me of Captain Planet.

A Finnish company, AW-Energy, recently signed a $4.4 million (€3 million) contract with the European Union (EU) to implement WaveRoller (wave energy) technology in Portuguese waters. This looks interesting. The location for the project is near a town deemed to be “capital of the waves.”

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‘Oyster’ Could Be the Secret to Harnessing the Ocean

Ruedigar Matthes — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:36:09 +0000

There is a new force on the wave-energy front. It’s called the Oyster. If it is successful in its debut this autumn, it could change the face of wave energy forever. You see, this giant electricity producing machine is different from conventional wave-energy machines. And those differences could make it extremely marketable.

The Oyster is unlike other wave power devices in that it uses hydraulic technology to transfer wave power to the shore to be converted into electricity. The machine has an 18m wide oscillator, which Dr. Ronan Doherty, Chief Technical Officer of Aquamarine Power the Edinburgh based company which has developed the first ‘Oyster’, says is a key to the machine’s design. The oscillator is fitted with pistons, which work according to wave action. The pistons pump high-pressure water through sub-sea pipelines to shore, where traditional hydro-electric generators use the high-pressure water to create electricity.

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Searaser Device Uses Waves to Pump Sea Water Uphill, Could Be Huge Boost for Hydro Power

Andrew Williams — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:54:05 +0000

A UK engineer has invented a device that harnesses wave power to pump sea water uphill, from where it can flow downhill to create hydroelectricity, raising hopes of a cheap, abundant source of renewable energy.

In trials, the device, called the Searaser, has pumped water more than 160ft above sea level, using little more than the natural motion of the waves. There are now plans for a much larger version, capable of pumping to a height of more than 650ft.

Inventor Alvin Smith reckons that each full-size device would be able to pump enough water to supply electricity to 470 homes. He also calculates that a fleet of 43,000 could generate enough power for a staggering 20 million households.

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An “Italian Brain” and the Top-Secret Tidal Energy Machine

Eva Pratesi — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:55:35 +0000

With high oil prices, dwindling fuel supplies and a growing pressure to reduce global warming, governments are looking for brilliant ideas. Why don’t consider the sea? Waves are a powerful source of energy and in the last years a growing attention is producing a wide range of prototypes. Machines of various shapes and sizes are being tested in last years to see how they could capture waves and tides to create “marine” energy.

A new experiment comes from Michele Grassi, researcher at the department of math at the University of Pisa, in the centre of Italy, who built a prototype of a wave-trapping machine.

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A Wave-Powered Boat?

Clayton B. Cornell — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:14:52 +0000

The Japanese man Kenichi Horie is sailing across the Pacific in a boat powered by. . . waves?

The boat has two fins that raise and lower with the tide, providing a petroleum- free alternative to motoring through doldrums.

Check out the full story here.