Wave Carpet Berkeley

During his time as a visiting scholar at the theoretical applied fluid dynamics laboratory marcus was inspired by the wave carpet developed by reza alam a uc berkeley assistant professor of mechanical engineering who in previous research had identified that energy could be extracted from muddy seabeds.

Wave carpet berkeley.

This energy can to used to turn turbines and generate electricity or to produce fresh water by reverse osmosis. Wave carpet is an efficient and environmentally friendly ocean wave energy capturing device investigated and tested by taf lab. As the waves roll through the carpets motion produces hydraulic pressure energy. Wave energy has the potential to provide 20 30 of global energy demand and forecasts show that ocean energy can reduce sequester 1 38 gigatron co 2 equivalent.

It s built of corrosion resistant materials operates submerged and thus sheltered from storm conditions and sits far enough below the waterline to eliminate most surface collision danger. Assuming wave energy development follows a similar trajectory anticipated for offshore wind this production can increase to meet our target of displacing 500 million tons of ghg equivalent annually by 2050. Called a wave carpet it harnesses the predictable wave power to obtain usable energy. Early experiments with wave tanks at uc berkeley have been promising.

Our design uses a synthetic seabed carpet that is connected to a grid of generators underneath that has the ability to extract wave energy the same way the muddy seafloor does. The design was inspired by the ability of muddy seafloors to effectively absorb overpassing ocean wave within only a couple of wavelengths. To help realize some of that potential a team of engineers called calwave working closely with uc berkeley s theoretical and applied fluid dynamics laboratory has developed a wave carpet invented by berkeley engineering professor reza alam.