In December 2010,
Shinji Hiejima, associate professor of the Graduate School of Environmental and
Life Science at Okayama University, Japan, developed a new type of tidal energy
system, called the “Hydro-VENUS” or “Hydrokinetic-Vortex Energy Utilization
System.” The Hydro-VENUS system will make energy available to coastal
communities and communities with coastal neighbours who can potentially
transfer the electricity to them. This energy will be environmentally friendly
and there will be a constant supply since ocean currents are always moving.
The
Hydro-VENUS works through a cylinder attached to a rod which is connected to a
rotating shaft. The cylinder is held upright through buoyancy since it is
hollow. As the ocean currents pass by the cylinder, a vortex is created at the
back side of the cylinder, pulling and rotating the shaft. That rotational energy
is transferred to a generator, creating electricity. When the cylinder is
released from the currents, it becomes upright, returning to its original
position, thus starting the cycle over.
The tidal system is different from a
propeller-based system where the currents have to spin the propeller in order
to create energy and requires a lot of force since the propeller is hard to
turn. More energy can be created through the Hydro-VENUS system since less
force is needed to move the cylinder pendulum.
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