Harnessing the Ocean’s Energy - The VIVACE Converter
VIVACE uses vortex-induced vibrations created by ocean currents to generate electricity. As pictured here, the converter consists of a rigid cylinder, struts and springs, a generator, and a transmission belt. By linking tens or hundreds of these converters together, it becomes possible to create underwater power plant capable of producing enough inexpensive, environmentally friendly electricity to power a city.
In 1504, Leonardo da Vinci observed that ropes suspended between buildings emitted a faint, high-pitched sound—what he called Æolian Tones. Without realizing it, he had discovered vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). This natural phenomenon, which occurs whenever a flexible cylinder is exposed to a flow of air or water, can cause serious damage to cables, mooring lines, marine pipelines, smoke stacks, nuclear fuel rods, and thousands of other structures.
For 27 years, naval architect and marine engineer and U-M Professor Michael M. Bernitsas has looked for ways to suppress VIV and the damage it inflicted on marine structures, particularly the marine risers of offshore drilling platforms. Then one day, while describing his work to a PhD student, he had a revelation: Why not use VIV to extract energy from bodies of water? Why not try to enhance VIV instead of supress it, and harness it to solve the world’s looming energy problem?
Within one year, Bernitsas had developed and filed for a patent relating to VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy), a device capable of harnessing the VIV energy generated by ocean and river currents. Subsequent tests in U-M’s Marine Hydrodynamics Lab proved that VIVACE was remarkably efficient at generating usable energy—more efficient than ocean-energy converters currently being used around the world.
“It’s important to note that VIVACE satisfies all Department of Energy requirements,” Bernitsas says. “It doesn’t interfere with navigation, nor does it damage marine life in any way. It’s modular, flexible, portable, and mechanically simple. It’s also scalable—and can be used for applications ranging from 10 to a million kilowatts.”
Last year, Bernitsas created Vortex Hydro Energy, LLC to develop, prototype and market his invention. As he notes, “Tech Transfer has been immensely helpful at every stage: filing the provisional patent, finding test sites, locating funding sources, and starting and staffing the company.” Most recently, Bernitsas has worked with student-consultants from U-M Tech Transfer’s TechStart program to identify potential investors.
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