- 23 February 2007 -
Pump captures energy from waves
US energy technology company Independent Natural Resources Inc (INRI) has successfully tested a pump system which can produce renewable energy and fresh water when combined with hydroelectric systems.
The SEADOG pump system, which was tested in the Gulf of Mexico , works by capturing ocean-wave energy from swells or waves to pump large volumes of seawater to shore-based storage or sea-based platform systems while consuming no fuel. In tests, a single SEADOG pump has experienced modest waves from 6 inches to 6 feet and has consistently pumped a range of 15,000 to 40,000 gallons of seawater per day. However, size, configuration and pumping capacity varies depends on the wave regime, height and frequency.
To create hydroelectricity, the SEADOG ocean-wave pump captures energy from ocean swells or waves to pump seawater to a land-based holding area or water tower, where the water can be returned to the ocean through hydroelectric turbines, thereby producing renewable electricity. Preliminary estimates based on SEADOG test results suggest that 1 square mile field of SEADOG pumps could generate anywhere from 50 megawatts to more than 1500 megawatts of hydroelectricity on average, depending on the wave regime.
The SEADOG pump also has the potential to make desalination less expensive and more accessible without the large-scale use of electricity, and in some cases no electricity usage at all, its makers say. The SEADOG doesn't involve any electrical components that can be damaged by sea water, and, because the device pumps water to a reservoir, it can store salt water or desalinated fresh water in the form of potential energy to generate power on demand, even if the current wave regime during a particular period is too low to generate power.
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