Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Underwater Ocean Kites To Harvest Tidal Energy

Posted by timothy on from the best-use-for-string dept.

eldavojohn writes "A Swedish startup has acquired funding for beginning scale model trials of underwater kites, which would be secured to a turbine to harness tidal energy for power. The company reports that the kite device allows the attached turbine to harvest energy at 10 times the speed of the actual tidal current. With a 12-meter wingspan on the kite, the company says they could harvest 500 kilowatts while it's operational. This novel new design is one of many in which a startup or university hope to turn the ocean into a renewable energy source."

3 of 203 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Stupid question, but one that's always bugged m by Nadaka · · Score: 5, Informative

    short answers: No, there is. The sun. No.

  2. Explanation video on YouTube by phiz187 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I was having difficulty visualizing this technology, from the text description. Here is a YouTube video that sheds more light. Spoiler: essentially the tethered kite does figure-8 patterns to continually move the turbine through the water.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qCDRj8TE9Y

    --
    Pretend I said something meaningful or insightful here.
  3. Re:dem dang numbers by fava · · Score: 4, Informative

    Thats not how it works.

    The kite is really a steerable sail that moves back and forth across the current, thereby increasing the velocity through the attached turbine.

    An animation is available at http://www.ebase.se/minesto/animation.htm

    fava