Tech | May 25, 2011 | 5 comments

Harness the Sea - An infinite source of energy may lie within the waves.

source: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/visions-now-next#/next/1

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covelogibbs
National Geographic Magazine, June 2011.

If you’ve ever been pummeled by a wave at the beach, you know that moving water packs a wallop. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that wave and tidal energy could supply 7 percent of the electricity for the United States—and in the United Kingdom, that contribution could be double. Engineers are designing all sorts of devices to tap this clean, renewable energy: “snakes” that jiggle over the water’s surface, buoys that bob with the swell, and turbines that spin in the current. (Items illustrated here show the diversity of wave power devices but wouldn’t be implemented together.)
Since populations are often concentrated near coasts, energy from moving water can be produced close to where it’s needed. And unlike wind energy, dependent on inconsistent gusts, this technology is as predictable as the tides. Technical and financial hurdles still exist, but projects are in the works for waters off Maine, New York, Oregon, Canada, and Scotland. Ocean power farms might be just over the horizon. —Juli Berwald

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Japan is looking for new sources of energy, and wave power would be a great choice. This new technology would probably be expensive to build, but with the added bonus of not generating any nuclear waste.
  1. groups:
    News and Politics,   Tech,   Green,   Technology,   1 more
  2. tags:
    Japan,  Water,  Ocean,  Alternative Energy,  5 more
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5 comments // Harness the Sea - An infinite source of energy may lie within the waves.

  • samthesixth
    • 0
      samthesixth  

    • Great article.

      I have a friend from MIT who has actually developed a turbine powered by the difference in water temperatures. The by-product is clean water as it acts as a giant desalinization plant. One of these could provide all the power for a small island nation. Currently the island nations are powered by diesel which has to be shipped in.

      Unfortunately, after 5 years of trying, he has not been able to get funding for the project. He has now backburnered it after taking a sabbatical for a year to try to get the funding.

    • 1 year ago
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • What about if the water is contaminated (regarding Japan.) Any effects? I think this is the wave of the future, no pun intended. An endless stream of energy that would allow us to use land to grow food and plant trees where needed.

    • 1 year ago
  • iowawashington
    • 0
      iowawashington  
    • JanforGore:

      If the water was contaminated, the beach would be unavailable for recreation of fishing, thus making it a more attractive site for this kind of thing. It wouldn't be screwing up someones favorite beach.

    • 1 year ago
  • JanforGore
  • iowawashington
    • 0
      iowawashington  
    • JanforGore:

      Yes - what I'm saying is the more screwed up the natural environment of the site is, the more attractive it makes the site for installation of a power generation station. It minimizes the ecological and aesthetic impact that the power generation station causes by locating it in an otherwise unusable location.

    • 1 year ago
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