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Today’s hottest job market for mariners is Offshore Oil and Gas but this is by no means the only controversial industry segment which presents opportunities to mariners. Like exploratory drilling, Offshore wind farms have also raised controversy among industry experts but presents unique job opportunities for those looking for more than the average liner run. Today we look at the 5 most interesting wind turbine designs.
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Helix Wind

Helix Wind, who offers a well-designed system that creates electricity to power any home or small business. The Savonius turbine-based design catches wind from all directions, creating smooth powerful torque to spin the electric generator. It’s mounted up to 35 feet high, in winds as low as 10 mph, thus allowing the Helix system to fulfill electricity needs, while being congruous with the environment. The strength of the wind is captured by Helix’s distinctive and efficient vertical blade design. The vertical Savonious 2.0 and Savonious 5.0 have a patent pending design which empowers the turbine to convert wind power into energy less than 5 decibels above background noise. Translation… The noise that the turbine makes is similar to the noise generated when wind passes through a tree or a house, compared to conventional horizontal wind turbines that operate at up to ten times above the wind speed, which is responsible for the piercing whistling sound near wind farms. (Source: gLiving.tv | Video) [Continue Reading →]

We have taken a look at ways to harness the ocean’s immense power before but this alternative energy solutions is slightly different. Using subsea moorings and 100′ diameter turbines this solution targets Gulf Stream currents to produce power. Inhabitat.com tells us;

The idea is to have underwater turbines placed right in the middle of the Gulf Stream current. The turbines are designed to be about 100 feet in diameter. These will be connected to a buoy that holds the electricity generating equipment. The gulf stream carries billions of gallons per minute, so the impact of these turbines would be minimal if negligible to the current itself.

Look for the first prototype to be launched by Dania Beach Florida based Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology in the first quarter of 2008.

(You can find related multimedia HERE)

 

 Prototype Subsea Ocean Current Turbine - Animation [0:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

OTEC, or ocean thermal energy conversion, is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to electric power. OTEC systems use the ocean’s natural thermal gradient—the fact that the ocean’s layers of water have different temperatures—to drive a power-producing cycle. As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and the cold deep water differs by about 20°C (36°F), an OTEC system can produce a significant amount of power. The oceans are thus a vast renewable resource, with the potential to help us produce billions of watts of electric power.

The economics of energy production today have delayed the financing of a permanent, continuously operating OTEC plant. However, OTEC is very promising as an alternative energy resource for tropical island communities that rely heavily on imported fuel. OTEC plants in these markets could provide islanders with much-needed power, as well as desalinated water and a variety of mariculture products.

Also if your looking for video, presentations or image files on renewable energy at sea be sure to check out the World Ocean Observatory’s Multimedia Page.