Ocean 2 Wave Energy System Demonstrates Power Generation
- tech360.tv
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Ocean 2, a 65.53-meter-long wave energy system, recently underwent testing on the open ocean, demonstrating its ability to generate power from waves. The system aims to provide affordable, clean energy globally and has the ambition to replace all fossil fuel generated power and fuel.
The device is designed to operate without any moving parts. It features a tube open at the bottom where water moves up and down with wave action. A constriction in the tube causes water to crash, generating a high-pressure jet. This high-pressure water then enters a pressurized reservoir and turns a turbine, which then powers a generator, functioning similarly to a hydroelectric dam.
Waves are described as a power-dense resource, concentrating sunlight. The ocean, covering 70% of the planet, is largely untapped for energy extraction. The developers believe the system can capture much more energy than humans need from these millions of square miles.
Ocean 2 was recently put into the water, initially sitting horizontally before being successfully flipped vertical in approximately 31 minutes. The system is expected to operate in its optimal state during midday with 1.83-meter waves. The top three goals for the Ocean 2 deployment were to ensure no one was injured, prevent the system from sinking, and collect data.
Following the flip, a tugboat will take the device out for three weeks to test it in various wave states and generate power. Data collected includes kilowatts made, indicating significant energy is being driven through the system. The system was observed to be still working and generating power after the team went to sleep.
The project began after two individuals agreed to quit their jobs to pursue wave energy. Early development involved prototyping in a garage with a large water tank, but initial core physics were not entirely correct. The "water hammer" team worked on early concepts, some cobbled together from readily available materials.
The hiring of Dan from SpaceX marked a significant step forward. Ocean One, the smallest ocean-scale system, proved the concept's hydraulic power generation and shape effectiveness. Ocean One was developed by a team of 13 people, with relatively simple, prototype-level systems. Ocean 2 represented an exercise in scaling up, involving the hiring of an additional 50 people to deeply understand the complex system and its subcomponents.
The technology could support cloud computing, operating like land-based data centres. Another possibility is the local production of green fuels, particularly hydrogen, which could then be brought ashore. All future nodes and ships are planned to be autonomous, building an entire offshore ecosystem.
The developers believe this technology can scale almost instantaneously and offer dramatically lower costs, potentially providing the cheapest electrical power on Earth. Their goal is to make terawatts, aiming for a significant fraction of the global electricity supply. The ambition is to replace all fossil fuel generated power and fuel with renewable alternatives globally. People who see videos of the device are often optimistic, expressing hope that such a feasible solution can be achieved at this scale.
Ocean 2 is a 65.53-meter wave energy system designed to generate power from ocean waves.
It operates by using wave motion to create a high-pressure water jet that drives a turbine and generator, functioning similarly to a hydroelectric dam.
• The system aims to provide the cheapest electrical power on Earth and has the ambition to replace all fossil fuel generated power and fuel globally.