New American technology collects electricity from water: how it works

In the US, they want to create a test center for ocean currents. It only needs the ocean to generate energy.

The US Department of Energy has awarded an $800,000 grant to the University of Florida (FAU) to help commercialize ocean energy technologies. About it writes Interesting Engineer.

FAU's Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) is embarking on a groundbreaking feasibility study for an ocean currents test facility off the coast of Palm Beach County. The study is said to be the first of its kind to use world-class expertise in marine energy.

The study will try to harness the power of ocean currents to generate clean renewable energy right off the coast of Southeast Florida and explore its commercial readiness .

FAU says there are no operational test facilities for ocean currents in the world, although some locations may be suitable. In the USA, North Carolina — the only other place where the gulf stream is close to the coast, but it's not an ideal place. Similar installations for tidal and wave energy have existed for several decades.

The challenge is to develop efficient, reliable and cost-effective technologies for harvesting the energy of ocean currents. SNMREC will evaluate the feasibility of a grid-connected offshore test facility in the Florida Current to ensure that these technologies can be safely and economically integrated.

The research strategy aims to focus on the fastest possible grid connection, ensuring compatibility with various marine energy and blue economy technologies, phased future construction to manage risks and costs, integrating regional economic opportunities and engaging stakeholders throughout the process.

Gabriel Alcenas, Principal Investigator and Director of SNMREC at FAU's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, emphasized that before any marine energy project can be successful, it is imperative to ensure that all aspects of the project can be done safely and economically integrated at full scale, which is only possible with a dedicated sea test facility connected to the network.

Alsenas said that testing prototypes in real conditions helps to refine the technology, confirm performance and reduce technical and financial costs. risks before projects can be scaled up for widespread use.