The power of the ocean is a tremendous source of energy and there a number of ways to harness this p

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The power of the ocean is a tremendous source of
energy and there a number of ways to harness this
power. Following are just a few of the new
technologies being invented to do just that
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The Oscillating Water Column uses waves to force
air into a closed column, which can generate
power with the use of a Wells turbine (shown
left). Air is forced up the column as the wave
comes in and then is pulled down when the wave
retreats. Due to the design of Wells turbine, it
will continue to turn in the same direction
irrespective of whether the air is flowing into
or out of the column Australian Greenhouse
Office's Renewable Energy Commercialisation
Program has recently given Energetech a 750 000
grant to construct a 300kW wave power generator
on the breakwater at Newcastle or Port Kembla.
(Images by Fujita Research)
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This is the most efficient of the wave powered
generators. It can produce electricity for less
than US0.05/kWh. The Salter Duck was
invented in the 1970s by Stephen Salter. It
produces energy by bobbing up and down with the
with the waves and using the motion to generate
power.
(Image by Ramage 1996)
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The tidal Fence (shown left) acts as a barrage
across a channel. The motion of the tide causes
the panels to rotate and thus generate
energy. Due to the physical way the fences block
a channel, they can be very environmentally
damaging. Their deployment has to be restricted
to places where they do little damage. A plan for
a fence in the Philippines that is to be 41m deep
with a peak tidal current of about 8 knots, is
expected to generate up to 2200 MW of peak power
(with a base daily average of 1100 MW).
(Image by Fujita Research)
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The Tidal Turbine has less environmental impact
than a tidal fence. It acts in a similar way to
a wind turbine with arguably better results. If
a tidal turbine is built in 2-2.5 m/s coastal
currents, it can provide an energy density four
times greater than air and with more consistency.
It is estimated that more than 10 MW of energy
per square kilometer can be created using Tidal
Turbines at a cost of US0.10/kW.
(Image by marine current turbines ltd. )
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The power of the wind has been harnessed to
create energy through the use of Wind Turbines.
The following sections describe the technology
and uses of these turbines.
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The Wind Powered Battery
The diagram on the left is a typical wind powered
battery. The wind turbine drives a three-phase
alternator which in turn connects to a
three-phase rectifier with output to a battery
bank. The amount of power going to the battery is
directly related to the wind speed.
(Source www.nrel.gov/wind/library.html )
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The Components
The components of the wind power system are

• The blades catch the horizontal force of the
  wind and turn it into a rotational force by
  revolving the shaft.
• The generator converts the energy created from
  the rotating shaft into electricity.
• The tower lifts the turbine high to take full
  advantage of the winds power.
• The battery stabilizes power fluctuations and
  stores excess energy. Depending on the size,
  batteries can store from one to three days of
  back-up capability and usually consist of
  lead-acid batteries.

(Source http//solstice.crest.org/renewables/re-k
iosk/wind/theory/components.shtml )
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The uses of wind power
The usage of wind power is commonly broken down
into the following categories

• Remote power wind power is often the most
  inexpensive source of power for remote sites
  that arent grid-connected.
• Grid connected due to the inconsistency of wind
  power, it is often used in conjunction with
  grid- connected power.

• Wind farms wind power is increasingly being
  used as a renewable energy source in place of
  fossil fuels. These farms generate the large
  amounts of energy needed for towns and cities.
• Hybrid for the same reason as the
  grid- connected wind power generator, it is
  common for remote sites to include other
  generators such as diesel or solar powered
  systems.

(Source http//solstice.crest.org/renewables/re-k
iosk/wind/theory/components.shtml )
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The next step for wind power
As stated previously, a large problem for wind
power systems is the inconsistency of the wind
itself. An Australian engineer named Bryan
Roberts (University of Western Sydney) is working
on wind farms in the sky. By tethering wind
power systems more than 4 kilometers above the
ground, Roberts hopes to utilize the power of the
jet streams. The jet streams race continuously
around the globe at a top speed of 500 kilometers
per hour. After many years of testing, Roberts is
planning to create a fleet of ten 10MW devices
tethered over a 28 kilometer field. This idea of
wind power is a very exciting prospect, as it
could be a new and very efficient way to generate
renewable energy. For further information, Bryan
Roberts can be contacted on bj.roberts_at_alphanet.n
et.au
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In conclusion, there are a number of different
types of renewable energy, this presentation has
only covered some of these. The world is
beginning to take more notice of these new
(although very old) sources of energy, and is
starting to put more money into research on the
subject. A positive thought amid the reality of
the greenhouse effect and our depleting energy
resources.