Waving for more Water and Energy – some options
With climate change, water supply and energy generation sure to get a focus in the upcoming election campaign, I&I looks at two Australian based wave options.
The first, Oceanlinx, has had trials off Port Kembla, NSW and now is pursuing other projects overseas (or should we say in the sea!). The company changed its name to Oceanlinx in April 2007. It was previously known as Energetech Australia Pty Ltd. As well as the Port Kembla project Oceanlinx also has development projects at Portland in Victoria, and King Island in Tasmania, and internationally in Rhode Island and Hawaii in the USA, South Africa, Mexico and the UK.
Photo: Surfer next to Oceanlinx generator
As a wave passes the Oceanlinx device, the water inside the OWC (a chamber which is open underneath the waterline) rises and falls, compressing and displacing the air inside, driving it past a turbine which is housed at the narrowest point in the chamber. Since the OWC chamber narrows, the air is accelerated to its highest velocity as it passes the turbine, allowing for maximal extraction of the energy. The oscillatory wave motion causes a similar oscillatory airflow through the chamber, and the turbine converts the energy in the airflow into mechanical energy which drives an electrical generator on both the up and down stroke.
The energy generated can be used to supply electricity to a grid or run a desalination plant. A single Oceanlinx power unit can generate peak power outputs of between 100 kW and 2 MW, depending on the wave climate and specific power requirements of the local population. (More details from www.oceanlinx.com)
In a second development, Carnegie Corporation has opened a $10 million share float to fund the commercialisation of its wave power technology, which it's pitching as a green way to pump water for desalination plants. Carnegie estimates its CETO technology will require around $6-8 million over 12-18 months to take it through to commercial-ready status. It expects a commercial scale demonstration project will follow.
Named after the Greek ocean goddess, the CETO technology distinguishes itself from other wave energy devices by resting out of sight on the ocean floor. An array of submerged buoys is tethered to seabed pump units. The buoys move in harmony with the motion of the passing waves, driving the pumps which in turn pressurises seawater and deliver it ashore via a pipeline. The high-pressure seawater can then be used to supply a reverse osmosis desalination plant, replacing greenhouse gas emitting pumps usually required for such plants. The high-pressure seawater can also be used to drive hydro turbines, generating zero-emission electricity. (More details from www.ceto.com.au )
Who said Tassie was cold? Another energy option?
Two new exploration licences for geothermal energy have been granted in Tasmania, which the industry expects will have favourable geology for tapping the heat trapped deep below ground.
"Hot dry rock geothermal power is ideal for base load generation. A successful outcome may result in a very large, new source of energy that could be extracted with minimal environmental impact or greenhouse emissions," said local MHR, Bryan Green.
Geothermal Energy Tasmania's exploration will be directed towards finding and evaluating hot dry rocks from which energy can be extracted, ultimately as electricity. It will spend $350,000 on exploration over the next two years.
The second company, Geopower, intends to explore opportunities in Tasmania's north-east and to investigate the potential for shallow warm water systems. Successful low temperature turbine technology can operate using water at 60-70 degrees C.
(From www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net September 2007)
Discover the Sky inside and out
For those looking for a fascinating night out, consider going to the Wollongong Science Centre and Planetarium on Friday 19 October at 7.30pm to 9.30pm for its special Discovery Night. In conjunction with the Illawarra Astronomical Society, telescopes (weather permitting) will be available to study the stars.
Also, there will be a special presentation using the full dome projector in the BlueScope Steel Star Theatre. This theatre is the major public planetarium in New South Wales. Seating 70 guests, the planetarium allows visitors to see how the stars and planets appear in the sky from any location on Earth, at any time from thousands of years in the past to thousands of years in the future.
Photo: Generating your own electricity in the Science Centre
The Science Centre also has a two story exhibit hall with the hands-on exhibits grouped in the themes such as "Electricity", "The Changing Earth", "Energy and Motion", "Vision" and "Astronomy". The centre has a shop with gifts for all ages - I&I believes it is one of the best gift shops around.
Bookings are not necessary for the event on 19 October or to visit the Science Centre which is located at Squire’s Way, Fairy Meadow (just north of Wollongong). For more information phone 4286 5000 or visit www.sciencecentre.uow.edu.au
Something Fishy in De-icing
Japan for Sustainability (JfS) reports that the Aomori Ecological Recycle Industrial Association in Japan started manufacturing a road de-icing agent that employs large amounts of scallop shells generated as a seafood processing by-product in Aomori Prefecture. It started production in March 2007 and plans to process 6,000 tons of scallop shells annually.
Aomori Prefecture is one of Japan's major scallop-producing areas and discards about 50,000 tons of scallop shells as industrial waste every year. Industry, academic and government researchers joined forces to help promote regional industry by employing this under-utilized biomass resource to develop the new de-icing agent.
Aomori Prefecture gets a lot of snow, and chlorine-based de-icers such as calcium chloride have been used to de-ice roads. These agents pose a risk to the local ecosystem, whereas the newly developed scallop shell de-icer is non-chlorine-based and eco-friendly, raising hopes that it can help solve current ecological problems caused by conventional de-icers.
(From Resource Recovery Forum, www.resourcesnotwaste.org )
I&I wonders what the implications might be for the roads to the Snowy. Use yabbie shells on the road instead of having to put on chains???
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