New wave of ocean energy to be trialed off the coast of Australia

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Monday, 05 December 2011 18:33

Anyone who has ever been scuba diving in a bull kelp forest will tell you - the stuff does not stand still. The marine aquatic plant consists of a long skinny-but-tough stem (or stipe) that is anchored to the sea floor and topped with a hollow float, from which a number of "leaves" (or blades) extend to the surface. The result is a seaweed that extends vertically up through the water column, continuously swaying back and forth with the surging waves. The researchers at Australia's BioPower Systems evidently looked at that kelp, and thought, "what if we could use that swaying action to generate power?" The result was their envisioned bioWAVE system, which could soon become a reality, thanks to a just-announced AUD$5 million (US$5.1 million) grant from the Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources... Continue Reading New wave of ocean energy to be trialed off the coast of AustraliaSection: ecoGizmoTags: Alternative Energy, Australia, Biomimicry, Eco-friendly, Ocean, Wave Power Related Articles: Wave blades offer Bodysurfing speed without compromise Ocean-power installation up and running Energetech’s wave energy technology Using aerospace principles to ride a wave of limitless energy Secret Energy Turbine: rooftop wind power in stealth mode Move over Nessie - new wave power system sighted at Loch Ness