OSU Deploys Wave Energy Generator Bouy

In a $1 million research effort during the past year, OSU researchers have evaluated 18 different "direct drive" wave energy technologies. One approach was tested in the ocean last September. The work has been a collaboration of OSU, Columbia Power Technologies and the Facilities Engineering Command of the U.S. Navy.

"Our latest test went exceedingly well," says Ted Brekken, an OSU assistant professor of electrical engineering. "The buoy produced significant power, the hydrodynamic behavior fit our expectations and design, the placement and deployment went smoothly, and we got a large amount of data to further evaluate."

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• green technlology
• sustainability
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• oregon state
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[treasurector]

Imagine a very long lever, one end connected to a floating dock, 100 yards offshore, the pivot on the beach, the other end 1000 yards away connected to linkage driving a traditional generator with "train wheel" linkage. How much torque is generated at the lever end given a tidal rise of 6 feet in 7 hours?

[treasurector]

Surfers know big power comes from a "wave funnel" such as Bay of Biscay, Biarritz. A series of concrete wave funnels affecting large bicycle crank wave reacting paddles geared to traditional generators would be out of the way of boating. Or capture power of tidal rise/fall of floating concrete slabs positioned by geared pilings, w generators on the slab connected by gears/transmissions to the pilings.