GULF STREAM CURRENT POWER

Swarms of marine turbines could 'tap the Gulf Stream'
Lakshmi Sandhana, 30 August 2010 (BBC News)

"Darris White…engineer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University…is currently finalising designs for a series of turbines that could be used to harness the immense energy of the Gulf Stream, flowing deep in the Atlantic Ocean…[It] contains around 21,000 times more energy than the Niagara Falls and by some estimates, could potentially provide up to one-third of Florida's electricity needs…[but] harnessing that energy needs to happen 1,200m below the surface of the ocean in turbulent and constantly changing conditions.

"The "marine energy" industry has come up with a number of ideas to make use of the movement of water…ocean waves, tides…[and] regular ocean currents like the Gulf Stream…The more common solution to the problem has been to build large turbines, to be anchored to the seabed…But the nature of the Gulf Stream presents different challenges…The solution, Professor White and his team suggest, are autonomous turbines with so-called ‘swarm intelligence’ that can navigate through the ocean currents, similar to a school of fish searching for food…A prototype is currently under construction and should be complete within the next 18 months…"

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"The team plans to equip the turbines with sensors that detect the change of hydrodynamics and the swarm's own movements, along communication mechanisms so that turbines can ‘talk’ to one another and share their position…The entire swarm will either be tethered to the sea floor with anchors, allowing them to migrate within a limited area, or be attached to a movable platform for fixing and transferring the power…Power from all the turbines will be integrated into a single transmission line and transmitted to a substation on land through high-voltage power lines.

"…Gulf Stream Turbines is a start-up company that holds several patents for water turbine designs; its founders hope to tie up with interested parties to develop the technology further and produce inexpensive energy continuously from the ocean currents…Professor White and his team believe their solution has several advantages over other approaches and current renewables, such as wind turbines…[especially because] streams, rivers and ocean currents provide a relatively constant source of power with fewer intermittence problems [near population centers]…[30 to 50 turbines should] generate around 15 to 20 million Watts of electricity at the sweet spot in the Gulf Stream…enough energy to meet the requirements of around 6000 to 8000 houses."

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"…[S]ome experts are sceptical of the idea [primarily because]…the forces involved with extracting energy form the Gulf Stream are huge…[so] the turbines [might] need to be fixed to the seabed…Professor White and his colleague[s] are not put off [and argue that because the Gulf Stream moves]…fixing the turbines in place wouldn't allow for optimal operation during all seasons…[and] existing mooring systems developed for movable offshore rigs could be adapted to help the swarm operate, rather than developing an entirely new fixture…They are also trying to head off other potential problems early, like the turbines' effect on sea life…[I]n-built intelligence [could] down the turbines or move the whole swarm out of the way of sea life.

"…[T]ests in 2012…will require the team to gain permission and permits from several federal agencies including the US Army Corp of Engineers…[but] it will be worth it if they can prove the concept works…"