Harnessing Slow Water Currents For Renewable Energy 113
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."
Harnessing my leaky faucet? (Score:3, Funny)
I wanna harness the slow water current of my leaky faucet to trickle-charge my laptop; can I do that? If that works, I'll move on to trying to harness my *other* leaky faucet.
Re:Harnessing my leaky faucet? (Score:2, Funny)
Have you tried this? [4flomax.com]
Headlines. (Score:5, Funny)
- for example, groins have been constructed on parts of the Thames to slow the water near the banks, encouraging scour of the main shipping channel
Has there been any ship collisions with those. If so was there a headline like this?
Ship hits Thames in groin.
Re:Secondary effects? (Score:4, Funny)
Erect a vortex generator instead of groins and you can control flow and generate electricity.
Yes, but you completely ignore the benefits of erecting groins.