ORKNEY ISLANDS, UK — The U.K. has just switched on a huge power-generating machine that floats on the ocean while it holds down two water turbines in a fast-moving tidal stream.
Dubbed the world's most powerful tidal turbine, the device is the size of a jumbo jet and can produce enough power to supply electricity to 2,000 U.K. homes. Here are the details:
CNBC reports that a massive tidal turbine that can generate 2 megawatts of electricity has started to feed power to the U.K.'s grid.
Located in the waters off the Orkney islands, the giant turbine, called O2, is about the size of a Boeing 747 and weighs 680 metric tons.
The O2 turbine floats like a boat and can be towed by small tugboats to any position, where it is then connected to anchors and a thick electrical cable that feeds its power to the grid.
Next, the O2 lowers its giant arms that support two 20-meter-long turbine blades.
As sea water has more than 800 times the density of air, these blades produce more electricity than similarly sized wind-turbine blades produce — enough to power 2,000 U.K. homes per year.
One of the biggest problems with power turbines is that they need their parts maintained regularly.
The O2 solves this problem by having its arms attached to massive hydraulic hinges that can easily lift the blades up to the surface for easy access.
Another great advantage of tidal systems like the O2 is that tides are very predictable, compared to wind and sunshine.
The company that builds the O2 is called Orbital Marine Power.
The company's CEO says they plan to commercialize the technology by deploying many more tidal turbines like the O2.
Dubbed the world's most powerful tidal turbine, the device is the size of a jumbo jet and can produce enough power to supply electricity to 2,000 U.K. homes. Here are the details:
CNBC reports that a massive tidal turbine that can generate 2 megawatts of electricity has started to feed power to the U.K.'s grid.
Located in the waters off the Orkney islands, the giant turbine, called O2, is about the size of a Boeing 747 and weighs 680 metric tons.
The O2 turbine floats like a boat and can be towed by small tugboats to any position, where it is then connected to anchors and a thick electrical cable that feeds its power to the grid.
Next, the O2 lowers its giant arms that support two 20-meter-long turbine blades.
As sea water has more than 800 times the density of air, these blades produce more electricity than similarly sized wind-turbine blades produce — enough to power 2,000 U.K. homes per year.
One of the biggest problems with power turbines is that they need their parts maintained regularly.
The O2 solves this problem by having its arms attached to massive hydraulic hinges that can easily lift the blades up to the surface for easy access.
Another great advantage of tidal systems like the O2 is that tides are very predictable, compared to wind and sunshine.
The company that builds the O2 is called Orbital Marine Power.
The company's CEO says they plan to commercialize the technology by deploying many more tidal turbines like the O2.
Category
🗞
News