Waves, Currents & Electrical Potential

February 2013
Share ASMEShare on linkedinShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesShare on print

The TidGen Power System is designed to generate electricity in shallow tidal and deep river sites. Image: Ocean Renewable Power Company

View larger

Billions of watts of power continuously flow down rivers and streams, or wash up on U.S. shores, just to dissipate. Part of the ocean waves and flowing currents, this form of energy tends to be more reliable than solar and wind, and is abundant in certain regions. Its also immensely challenging to exploit: How can engineers tap this vast, restless resource to create sustainable energy that competes with fossil fuels and is compatible with existing power grids? According to Pike Researchs January 2012 report, Hydrokinetic and Ocean Energy Renewable Power Generation, the U.S. still has plenty of untapped hydropower resources enough to generate from 85,000 to 95,000 more megawatts, with 23,000 MW available by 2025.
Verdant Powers free flow system turbine is bidirectional. Passi ve yawing orients the device to operate optimally during both ebb and flood tides. Image: Verdant Power

The upside potential for technically recoverable wave energy alone could provide about 25 percent of U.S. electricity demand, said Christopher Mahoney, director of communications for the Electric Power Research Institute in Charlotte, NC. This kind of notice is starting to bring the technology of hydrokinetics out from the shadows of wind turbines and solar panels.

Hydrokinetics studies how kinetic energy is generated by the natural movement of water surface waves, tidal currents, and rivers, streams, and ocean currents and how to convert that energy to electricity. Hydrokinetic devices are placed directly in the flow and generate energy only from the power of the moving water; no dam or diversion structure is required to increase hydraulic head to drive a turbine.

Hydrokinetics is a rapidly developing field where both big companies and startups can compete equally in engineering and design.

Various approaches to harvesting ocean wave energies have been developed that focus on maximizing wave-energy capture, maximizing the output of the electromechanical power conversion process, and optimizing the overall system performance from a cost, reliability, and value proposition standpoint, said Gregory Lennon, director of business development-utility scale for Ocean Power Technologies, a Pennington, NJ, wavepower technology firm. Significant focus has also been given to solutions that are grid-connect-ready, as well as the ones that serve as autonomous power sources for localized loads.

The State of Geothermal Engineering

August 2013
Share ASMEShare on linkedinShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesShare on print

View larger

Geothermal engineering has had its ups and downs but has never had its true breakthrough moment. The question: Is it coming? We talked with petroleum engineer Louis Capuano, Jr., to get some answers.

You see a lot of potential opportunities but we dont invest in renewable like we should, says Capuano, president of Capuano Engineering Company, Santa Rosa, CA. Geothermal usually benefits from oil and gas research but we havent seen that lately. I do have one interested drilling engineer who is only six or seven years out of school, but hes my son. We need to get young engineers involved.

But how to do it? With challenges, he says. We need to establish enhanced geothermal systems. Its a very slow progress and its about being ready to take a chance and commit to the field. If we drill wells and cant find the best production then can we still salvage something. We may be able to fracture in the right d irection. At present, the U.S. has an installed geothermal capacity of 3,386 megawatts and total planned capacity of 2,511-2,606 additional megawatts, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Geothermal power plants use superheated fluids from the earths geothermal resources to generate electricity.

Overseas in Europe, its a better story and one Capuano says we need to learn from. Youre looking at low temperatures and deep wells, trying to extract heat from the ground for commercial purposes, he says. In Europe, they have high electricity rates and are using the resource for this need. Indonesia is another example. They have many brownouts and lack outside help. They need great domestic load power.

Another major roadblock is a lack of patience. Modeling of geothermal is more difficult than oil and gas, he says. Looking for liquid inside fractures is hit and miss. There are a lot of benefits but maybe only one out of four wells will be successful. Capuano says this lack of instant gratification particularly hurts the industry during bad financial times. Private insurance doesnt take as much risk in oil, he says. The credit crunch came a few years ago and that cut everyone back. Unlike oil and gas, which can be sold in the same year (of drilling), geothermal takes time. You need a well, resources, environmental documentation, and you put it in operation. The return could take five to 10 years. Investors dont like to wait. Hope for Fair Funding

Still, Capuano remains hopeful. The government can play its role in geothermal permits if it wants to, he says. The Department of Interior has had a hard time, along with the Department of Energy [but] the budgets are so small. Still, look at California with 20% renewables on everything, while I see geothermal producing 60% of the renewable

energy. Solar doesnt work if the sun doesnt shine while geothermal is available 24-7 and doesnt require a backup. Capuano just hopes his pleas dont fall on deaf ears, watching what was once an exciting potential energy option stay very much in a holding pattern. We dont want preferential treatment in funding, he says. Just fair treatment by looking at the opportunity.