Engineers just demonstrated a magnetohydrodynamic tidal generator that extracts continuous electrical power from ocean currents with zero moving components — eliminating all maintenance requirements and achieving a projected operational lifespan of 100 years.
A team from the University of Edinburgh deployed a magnetohydrodynamic duct array on the Scottish seabed where tidal current velocities reach 3.2 meters per second. Seawater flowing through the ducts — which contain no turbines or mechanical parts — passes through powerful permanent magnet fields inducing an electrical current directly in the conductive saltwater through Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. The extracted current is drawn off through electrodes lining the duct walls. The 2-meter prototype array generated 47 kilowatts continuously across a 14-day tidal cycle test.
Scaling to a 100-meter array — feasible at identified North Sea sites — projects 2.3 megawatts of continuous baseload power with installation costs 60% lower than conventional tidal turbines and zero maintenance requirements over the device lifetime.
Source: University of Edinburgh School of Engineering, Renewable Energy Journal, 2024
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten