WAVE ENERGY: Aquabuoy 2.0 Wave Power Generator
by Jorge Chapa
With most of our planet covered in water, wave-power is a promising source of renewable energy for the future. If more companies were trying to generate electricity from the energy of waves, we might have more renewable energy options to choose from. Last week we wrote about the worlds first wave-power farm in Portugal, but other countries and companies are jumping into the ring with new technologies as well. Finavera Renewables, an energy producing company with a focus on renewables, has recently launched the AquaBuoy 2.0, a large round buoy measuring 15 feet across to compete in the rapidly heated race to generate power from the sea.
The Aquabuoy 2.0 is a large 3 meter wide buoy tied to a 70-foot-long shaft. By bobbing up and down, the water is rushed into an acceleration tube, which in turn causes a piston to move. This moving of the piston causes a steel reinforced rubber hose to stretch, making it act as a pump. The water is then pumped into a turbine which in turns powers a generator. The electricity generated is brought to shore via a standard submarine cable. As with the pelamis machines, the system is modular, which means that it can be expanded as necessary. Currently this technology is being tested off the cost of Newport, Oregon.
And that’s not all! Last week we brought you news of Portugal’s wave power plant, which was being created by using Pelamis machines off the coast of Agucadoura. Well, suffice it to say that it isn’t the only wave power plant being created off the coast of that country. Finavera Renewables has plans to build a second 2MW demonstration plant to be located in Figueroa de Foz, Portugal, which will be expanded to 100MW if the project is successful
+ Finavera Aquabuoy
+ Finavera Renewables AquaBuOY 2.0 deployment
+ World’s first wave farm off the coast of Portugal
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“If more companies were trying to generate electricity from the energy of waves, we might have more renewable energy options to choose from.”
WHAT?! Sorry, I can’t let that go. One click on the Wikipedia page for ‘wave power’ would have thrown up 33 companies trialing (or already offering) different wave-generation schemes - and that’s only the ones whose technologies are described! Are there 33 different designs for nuclear or coal power stations? No. Diversity is not the problem here, and nor is the lack of people trying.
Just one more minute of research before you wade in with the throwaway comments, please!