Sweden develops "underwater kites" that generate electricity through tidal waves
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The company Minesto, a subsidiary of the Swedish automaker Saab, recently developed a power turbine called the "underwater kite."
The "underwater kite" was snagged on the sea floor and produced continuous energy through tidal currents. It is reported that each "deep green" turbine can produce up to 500 kilowatts of electricity. Since tidal currents are more stable than winds, the energy generated by such turbines is more stable than the energy generated by wind power generation.
This "underwater kite" has a wingspan of 12 meters (about 40 feet). It will be placed 20 meters (about 66 feet) below the water surface to prevent conflicts with the ocean. The "underwater kite" installed a turbine generator of about 1 meter in length and was carried by a rope chain of about 1,000 meters in length to the sea floor. The tidal current is 1.6 meters per second and the energy it generates is enough to make the "underwater kite" "turn up." Minesto said that the “Underwater Kite†rope chain also acts as a cable, not only playing the role of a fixed “underwater kiteâ€, but also making it move in the water at a high speed on the 8-character trajectory to generate more energy.
As the "underwater kite" is snagged to the bottom of the sea, it can move at a faster rate (about 10 times the speed of seawater at its operating position). This "underwater kite" can efficiently capture the energy of tidal currents and generate electrical energy in repeated motions. Although offshore offshore wind power systems are difficult to install, deep-sea environments are very suitable for installing "underwater kites". More importantly, the "underwater kite" power generating turbines are lighter in weight and easier to install than other deep-sea power generation systems.
Minesto said that the operating costs of the “deep green†power generation system is 0.06 to 0.14 euros per kilowatt, which is much lower than the cost of 0.15 to 0.30 euros per kilowatt for other tidal power generation systems, while the cost of offshore wind power systems is 0.10 per kilowatt. To 0.12 euros. Minesto also stated that with the development of the next phase of the system, the company plans to launch an "underwater kite" turbine in Northern Ireland in 2011. The company said it has recently obtained 2.5 million U.S. dollars for the development and operation of the "underwater kite" turbine.
The "underwater kite" needs a large area of ​​sea to operate, but it only needs to occupy a relatively small part of the sea area when it is operating in the "8-character shape" of water. There are two methods commonly used to obtain tides. One is a tidal dam (ie, tidal), similar to a hydropower station on the land; the other is a free-flow system that is used to obtain energy directly from seawater movements, and its principle is similar to that of wind power generation. Minesto said that this technology is likely to be combined with offshore wind power systems in the future to take full advantage of the ocean's energy.
Yuhuan Jiaodu Valve Co., Ltd. , http://www.tz-valve.com