Harnessing Slow Water Currents For Renewable Energy

Julie188 writes "Slow-moving ocean and river currents could be a new, reliable and affordable alternative energy source. A University of Michigan engineer, Michael Bernitsas, has made a machine that works like a fish to turn potentially destructive vibrations in fluid flows into clean, renewable power. This is is the first known device that could harness energy from most of the water currents around the globe because it works in flows moving slower than 2 knots (about 2.3 miles per hour). Most of the Earth's currents are slower than 3 knots. Turbines and water mills need an average of 5 or 6 knots to operate efficiently. Further details and a few brief movies of the technology are available, as well as a video explanation by Professor Bernitsas himself."

Comments

Re:Secondary effects?

[Ex-MislTech]

Water runs down hill due to gravity, once it is passed the device
it will return to its prior speed.

The water does not get and keep its speed from its headwaters.

It varies based on the grade as it moves downstream.

In an ocean, it is not due to grades is more about thermal
differential due to the ocean heating the water.

It might have an impact there, but some of the current
contain flows that are many times the flow of all the rivers
in the world.

Like the Antarctic Circumpolar current:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Circumpolar_Current