Dream of marine-topia: New technologies to utilize effectively renewable energies at offshore

Abstract

For the next leap in the sustainable technologies, we are under obligations not only to cope with the warming global environment but also to conserve natural ecosystem and to coexist with nature. This paper introduces the following advanced technologies in Kyushu Institute of Technology, to utilize effectively the promising ocean and wind resources at the offshore. (1) Counter-Rotating Type Reversible Hydroelectric Unit, which is composed of the tandem runners and the peculiar generator with the double rotational armatures, is applicable to both rising and falling tides at the power station with the embankment, in place of the traditional bulb type turbines. (2) Gyro-Type Reversible Hydraulic Turbine, which is composed of some blades with a high aspect ratio, is effective to utilize the tide power even at the shallow and/or the very low range of the tide. (3) Submerged Ocean Wave Power Unit, where a pair of floats is lined up at the interval of one wave pitch and supports the vertical type hydroelectric unit submerged at the middle position, can get velocity energy four times higher than the traditional unit. (4) Intelligent Wind Turbine Unit, which is composed of the tandem wind rotors and the double rotational armatures, is suitable for the offshore wind farm.