A new breakthrough in the electricity industry could bring water power to the masses.
You probably know water power’s been around for a while: turbines and water mills, which require fast currents to create electricity, are often used in areas with waves, tides, and waterfalls. But a new breakthrough in the electricity industry could bring water power to the masses.
Researchers at University of Michigan have just created a system called Vivace (“vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy”), which creates electricity even from water that travels as slow as one mile an hour, or one knot. The device is built from a system of cylinders horizontal to the water flow, which move up and down as the water passes through, creating energy from the vibrations.
Because the new device works in slow-moving water and is simple to construct, it holds powerful implications for the energy industry. Vivace systems could be placed in nearly any waterway, creating an eco-friendly and efficient alternative to traditional power plants.
“If we could harness 0.1 per cent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people,” Michael Bernitsas, one of the system’s creators, told the Telegraph.