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The best thing is these provide continuous power except when the tide is “turning”… however that 20 minute or so period will be at a different time of day for each installation. Two of these, just 40 miles apart, might have their tidal turn offset by 3 hours with the right coastline… and you’d pick locations based on that.
I always thought that tides were a really underutilized source of energy.
I mean, look at the Bay of Fundy. The equivalent of all the water in all the rivers in the entire world cycles in and out every single day. Thats a lot of movement and a ton of potential energy there.
As the article notes, part of the problem with large-scale operations like this in the past is that they disrupted ocean life to a significant degree; this one is different in that it (theoretically) doesn’t, since it’s smaller and mobile and not tethered to the seabed.
The article doesn’t say anything about it not being tethered, so I’d assume it still is.
Power is then sent to the grid via a subsea cable which also acts as the kite’s tether.
I’d assume this is less disruptive to sea life than this, which appears to just be a giant bollard with a turbine mounted on it sunk into the seabed.
The sea is very corrosive which destroys moving parts :(
Not many people live there, but W. Australias’ Kimberley Coast has a section where the tide rises 36 feet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9kdhVJT0U
Waves big enough to surf arrive.
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Here is a video of the technology from Minesto the company that produced the system.
That’s interesting. I love seeing new ways for renewable energy. Though it does seem like the tether would be the weakest point. But I am not an engineer.
I wonder how the sea life will react. Will they get stuck in it? Will they leave? So many questions only time will answer.
They’ll grow on it I bet.
I find it almost impossible that this system won’t require a LOT of maintenance. Anything you leave in the water breaks and is overgrown within months.
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