Air Force Academy Developing Wave Power System
January 4th, 2008Imagine my shock.
Via: Colorado Springs Gazette:
Researchers at the Air Force Academy are developing an idea that could use ocean waves to meet much of the nation’s energy needs.
The devices used to extract the energy look like the paddle wheels on river steamships of
old, but with some new twists added by researcher Stefan Siegel along with aeronautics research center director Thomas McLaughlin. They envision submersible barges lined with the wheels that would be able to use the movement of ocean water to generate electricity and transmit it to shore over submerged cables.
“Wave energy has lots of potential,” said Siegel, who is working with cadets to figure out the mind-boggling mathematics involved in accurately modeling the invention. “There is also a tremendous amount of it available.”
