Gizmodo Australia » waves

Searaser Wave Buoy Can Generate, Store Enough Power For 470 Homes

Kit Eaton — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:34:53 +0000

We’ve mentioned ocean power stations a bit recently, and now here’s one with a rather different approach: It can store power for when its needed. Searaser is in prototype form at the moment, and it works by bobbing up and down as waves pass by. An underwater pump uses this motion to push water into a reservoir 160 feet uphill. And there it sits until it’s simply released to power a generator. Neat stuff, particularly when the inventors say a full-sized version can power about 470 homes all by itself. [The TImes via Dvice]

Pocket-Sized iGTR Amp Is Perfect For The One-Man Concert No One Will Hear But You

Jack Loftus — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:00:00 +0000

Need to practice your power chords on the subway, in church, or anywhere else where crunching out the intro to Enter Sandman might be frowned upon by the man? Jam away safely in silence with this cigarette pack-sized iGTR amp from Waves. The “i” is for you, not because everyone and their dog wants to name their products after Apple phones and MP3 players, but because thanks to the dual headphones jacks, only you and a friend will hear what’s going down.

Beyond the headphone jacks, there’s also a laundry list of traditional amp settings to tweak, including effects like Phase, Wah-Wah, Reverb, and Delay. If you have an MP3 track you’d like to accompany, you can plug your player into the iGTR, too. Just stock up on batteries, because the US$80 amp uses AAA. [Interactive iGTR Demo and Product Page via Technabob]

Huge Rubber Snake is No Joke, Generates Power From Waves

Gizmodo US Edition — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:00:00 +0000

For some reason or other, we’ve shown you a lot of robotic snakes here on Giz. But this new one is kind of a robot snake in reverse: it’s designed to float just beneath the surface of the sea and capture wave energy, which it then turns into electrical power. A science team in the UK has been working on the design, and is now testing small versions in a test tank: ultimately the “real” machines would be 7 metres across and 800 metres long, and be able to generate 1 megawatt. Check out the video to see how “Anaconda” works.

Basically the rubber snakes are moored at the right height to bend as a wave rolls past, generating a bulge in the sea water inside. This gets pushed down the tube by the wave to a generator built into the tail end.

A full-scale device would be able to generate enough power for 1,000 homes, and the developers at the University of Southampton think it may be more resilient than other wave-generators due to its lower moving part count, and the fact that it’s made mostly of materials that resist salt-water corrosion.

Plus, it looks satisfyingly sci-fi, in a scary surprise for divers kinda way. [New Scientist]

69 Year Old Attempts Record Hawaii to Japan Trip in Wave Powered Boat

Sean Fallon — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:50:14 +0000

Ken-ichi Horie, a 69 year old Japanese sailor, is planning a solo 4,350 mile trip from Hawaii to Japan using the most advanced wave powered boat on the planet. If successful, the trip would earn him a Guinness record while simultaneously proving the viability of wave powered propulsion. His boat, the Suntory Mermaid II, turns wave energy into thrust using two fins mounted beneath the bow. These fins move up and down with the waves and use them to generate “kicks” that propel the boat forward.

The problem is that all of that new fangled technology will only manage to scrape together a top speed of 5 knots. Therefore, it will take about three months to achieve what a diesel powered boat can achieve in only one. Plus, all of the radios and electrical equipment are solar powered. Sounds pretty dangerous, but this is the same dude that made a solo trip across the Pacific in 1999 on a catamaran made from recycled beer barrels. In other words, he’s a rugged dude. [Popsci]

First Large Scale Wave Farm Approved in England

Adam Frucci — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:00:15 +0000

Plans for the first large scale wave farm on the planet were given final approval in England today, paving the way for a highly ambitious new method of generating energy off the coast of Cornwall in Southwest England. With an initial cost of over $56 million, the project has the potential to create 1,800 jobs and save over $1.1 billion for the UK over the next 25 years. It’ll do this by generating enough electricity for 7,500 homes, saving 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the same period. If the project is a success, look for wave-generated energy to become a more prevalent source of renewable energy elsewhere in the world in the coming years. [SWRDA via NOTCOT.org]