Today's Date: Tuesday, October 07, 2008
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EmailPower Generation: Continued
November 30, 2007Page 3 of 15
- Wind Power - Wind turbines spin to convert mechanical energy from wind into electrical energy. Like solar power, wind power is subject to source intermittence problems from poor siting and low (or high) wind speed. Most wind-power production occurs during off-peak hours. Turbines are across generating scale, from distributed generation to grid-tied offshore wind farms. Wind power is driven primarily by a number of established and startup companies developing utility-scale onshore and offshore wind farms. These companies are listed below.
- Maglev Wind Turbine - The magnetically levitating bearings in maglev wind turbines are more sensitive than traditional bearings, and achieve cut-in at low wind speeds. Maglev turbines are also able to spin at higher wind speeds compared to traditional turbine designs. While not commercially available, prototype designs are aimed at utility-scale power generation.
- Vibrating Turbine - Though technically not a turbine - it doesn't spin - the vibrating turbine has many potential uses in areas where spinning turbines are too large or too expensive to install. Vibrating turbines capture energy created by the vibration of taut, vertically aligned membranes through aeroelastic flutter effects. These are small devices intended primarily for roof-mounted distributed generation, though scale-up technology may be possible with continued research.
Veterans Vestas Ecotècnia Suzlon Energy Alubar Energia General Electric Windflow Startups Clipper Windpower Vibrating Turbine Humdinger Wind - Ocean Power - Ocean-power technology converts mechanical energy from the near-constant movement of tides, currents and waves into electrical energy. The constant movement of water, combined with high potential and kinetic energy density, make ocean power an ideal candidate for base-load power generation, especially for off-grid island communities and areas with high-energy weather patterns and turbulent seas. Ocean-power devices are built around technology similar to that found in offshore oil and natural-gas platforms. Construction processes are capital-intensive and require high-grade, heavy-duty materials.
- Wave Power - Wave power converts the elliptical kinetic mechanical energy of ocean swells into electrical energy. There are a variety of wave-power devices, including buoys, oscillating water columns and overtopping reservoirs. All devices act essentially the same: They use pressurized sea water to spin turbine generators located within the device body. A handful of prototype wave farms exist in the Pacific Northwest and in northern Europe, where prevailing sea breezes create the biggest ocean swells. Wave-park development and device deployment is largely dependent on government support.
- Tidal & Current Power - Marine-propeller or shrouded-turbine installations are designs similar to wind turbines. High water density and constant tidal and current flows allow these devices to achieve high conversion efficiency and constant power output. However, tidal and current patterns work over extended periods typified by 25-hour patterns and diurnal flux, so power-output times often misalign with peak power demand.
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) - Pumping near-freezing water through temperature zones in the ocean and onto shore to power heat engines is a relatively little-understood technology. High capital costs - OTEC requires well-insulated pipes sunk a mile or more into the ocean - have stunted growth in this technology. This technology has a range of side uses, including water desalinization and soil regeneration.
| Veterans | |||
| WaveDragon | OceanLinx | Ocean Prospect Ltd. | Wavegen |
| Startups | |||
| SeaPower Pacific Ltd. | Finavera Renewables | Ocean Power Technologies | |
| British AWS Ocean Energy Ltd. | Pelamis Wave Power | Fred Olsen Ltd. | |
| Veterans | ||
| Blue Energy Canada | SMD Hydrovision | |
| Startups | ||
| Verdant Power | Tidal Energy Pty Ltd. | Marine Current Turbines Ltd. |
| Open Hydro | Ocean Renewable Power Co. LLC | |
| Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) | ||
| Common Heritage Corporation | ||