New electricity generator from the ocean

Inspired by the movement of algae at the bottom of the ocean, Australian scientists have come up with the idea of designing biogas generators that use the thrust of water to generate electricity.

The WAVE bioelectric generator system consists of three 'leaves' , essentially empty floats, which simulate the motion of seaweed leaves mounted on a cylinder and have a triangular support at the bottom. Three 'leaves' just touch the water. The axis of the system is flexible, allowing it to bend or turn any direction.

The project received $ 5.1 million in grants from the ministry
Head of Energy and Resources Australia (Photo: Gizmag)

The movement of waves both at the surface and below will cause the floats to move. This process puts pressure on moving fluid into an integrated hydraulic power conversion module called O-Drive and rotates the generator. The electricity generated by converting kinetic energy into electricity is then sent to the shore via an underground cable system.

Each bioelectric generating system can be easily installed under the ocean by standard vessels without any special equipment, scientists say. In addition, when detecting unusually large waves, the system automatically folds and sits below the seabed to avoid damage.

In addition to $ 5.1 million in grants from the Australian Minister for Energy and Resources, the project will receive an additional $ 14 million to conduct the experiment in four years. The pilot system will be installed in the area near the Portry Fairy grid in Victoria.

With an area of about 30 meters under the seabed, the system can generate 250kW of electricity and in the future will generate 1MW of electricity at a depth of 40-50m and each system will be integrated with up to four power conversion modules. Hydraulic.