Swedish company Minesto's underwater kite resembles a child's toy as it swoops and dives in ocean currents. But since seawater is 800 times as dense as air, the small turbine attached to the kite — which is tethered to the ocean floor — can generate 800 times more energy than if it were in the sky. Minesto calls the technology Deep Green and says it can generate 500 kilowatts of power even in calm waters; the design could increase the market for tidal power by 80%, the company says. The first scale model will be unveiled next year off the coast of Northern Ireland.
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I've heard about tidal energy, but have never heard of this company and its Deep Green machine. That is a very innovative design, using a kite underwater to move in the currents to generate energy- something I definitely wouldn't have thought of. I'm an advocate for alternative forms of energy and think this company has come up with a great plan to get energy from the ocean. I look forward to other companies trying to come up with other solutions on how to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from renewable energy.
ReplyDeleteMy question is, how does this kite generate 500 kilowatts of power in calm waters though? I don't see how the kite moves to in the water to generate energy without the water being rough.
I’m a proponent for green energy but also for sustainability efforts within our oceans. With the turbine attached to the kite, which will obviously have a propeller within it, couldn’t it be harmful to our ocean life like small fish, dolphins, and perhaps even the choral reef itself which many fish use to survive? And can’t the cable that is tethered to the ocean floor also cause for animal life to get entangled? I’m sure the Swedish company will have to look into this because as it we already invade ocean space by transportation and oil drilling, which the latter has caused disastrous results like the recent Gulf oil spill.
ReplyDeleteWow, that’s really impressive. The advancements in ways to capture energy are becoming more and more creative as time goes on. I think this is a great idea. After all, fossil fuels won’t last forever and hurt the environment. The logic makes a lot of sense— these kites are much more efficient under water since water is much denser than air. I think the kites’ inventors are really on to something. However, I agree with Adam that safety measures must be put into place so sea life isn’t harmed. A small screen at the turbine’s inlet to prevent sea life from entering might do the job.
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