For five years, Professor Reza Alam from the University California, Berkeley, is developing the best way to build underwater mechanical wave carpet – a device that can collect the natural energy of the ocean.
A photo from open sources
In theory, the carpet will be almost 100 percent energy efficient, according to compared to 10-20 percent of the efficiency of solar panels, explains Alam. This is partly due to the fact that the wave energy has much higher density than the energy of the sun. Average one a square meter of the earth’s surface receives 300-400 watts of solar radiation, while the waves breaking into one square meter of the California coast, carry 45 kilowatts of energy. “If I I want to get a similar amount of energy, I need 150 square meters of solar panels, “says Alam.” The same the amount of energy we can get by covering an entire stadium solar panels, we can get from 10 meters of California the coast. ”
In their laboratory, Alam and his team designed a two-dimensional test tank successfully using a rubber wave prototype carpet. But in reality, the waves will be multi-directional, and rubber in a while it will decay in salty sea water. That’s why Alam is now working on a three-dimensional test tank, and over the search for alternative materials that can replace rubber – it can be, for example, silicon and others composites.
Alam is by no means the first scientist who dreams of potential wave energy. However, from most of these collection devices Alam wave design compares favorably with what is not on the surface and under water. Firstly, it minimizes it. potential contact with ships. Secondly, it will not be needed turn off in case of a storm. While strong winds and waves crush wind turbines and surface wave storage the carpet will experience much less turbulence while on bottom of the ocean.
A photo from open sources
The biggest test awaits the wave carpet in 2016, when Alam and his team install a real prototype device in the ocean.
The wave carpet itself is currently located, roughly speaking, in research phase however Alam is encouraged by his potential perspectives. “We hope that over the next 10 years the aggregate price of energy will be able to compete with today’s prices “About 10 cents per kilowatt hour,” he says.
Water Time
