We need this

[mercurial]

The giant rubber 'sea snakes' that could generate electricity for tens of thousands of UK homes

It looks and moves like a like a giant snake, but according to scientists this weird device could be generating energy off Britain's coast within five years.

Each 'anaconda', which could be more than 200 yards long and made almost entirely of a rubber tube, may be capable of producing 1MW (megawatt) of power.

The plan is to have 'shoals' or 'schools' of the devices around the coast, where they would be harnessed to 'swim' just below the surface.

Groups of 50 anacondas could each generate enough electricity to power 50,000 homes at an 'excitingly low' cost, the developers Checkmate Group said.

A ten-yard version of the anaconda is currently in the final stage of 'proof of concept' testing at a 300-yard wave test tank run by QinetiQ in Gosport, Hampshire.

The test tank is the largest in the UK and can simulate the strength and frequency of the ocean waves the device would encounter in the sea.

Checkmate hopes to be testing full-scale devices in the ocean within three years, with the first anacondas in commercial production and deployed off the coast by 2014.

The anaconda is harnessed to the sea floor, and unlike other wave energy machines 'swims' head-on to the waves, like a ship in a storm, according to Professor Rod Rainey who came up with the original idea.

More...

 

[davemc]

Awesome, with our wavey coastline eskom has just solved it's problems.

 

[cerebus]

they've been talking about this for a while. I wonder if it'll move out of concept stage. Looks quite promising though. There is a huge amount of natural energy in the ocean. More than enough to supply the country...

 

[Sherbang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N669Kn7QixY
The real thing in testing

 

[Empiricism Philosopher]

Rofl so why do they spend so much research money on the pebble bed thing then?

 

[scotty777]

Rofl so why do they spend so much research money on the pebble bed thing then?

lol, I heard about that .

there's one problem with these though, what if a boat rides over them?

 

[Empiricism Philosopher]

They would have beacons mostly likely where boats my go and not, how do you think boats get around now by guessing power ?

 

[xrapidx]

Look at the length of that pool

 

[davemc]

I read through the stuff, and it seems that you need a long constant swell to create the build-up, so this is not for shore-break waves, it's for the deeper swells.

I don't quite understand why they don't just plonk an underwater "windmill" in the strong sea currents.

 

[Empiricism Philosopher]

The short term cost is to much to make up for in the medium term...

 

[xrapidx]

I don't quite understand why they don't just plonk an underwater "windmill" in the strong sea currents.

Maybe they can't make a strong enough windmill that would work without breaking under pressure.

 

[PC Direct]

Look at the length of that pool

LOL !

 

[xrapidx]

LOL !

Imagine training in it - I did two length today