Sea Creatures and Waves

Sea creatures are inspiring the latest devices that harness wave power. This one, called the oyster, sits on the ocean floor and opens and closes as waves pass over it. Cables attach it to generators on the shore. Since November 2009, it's been powering 9,000 homes in the Orkney Islands. Another device looks like a snake. The anaconda is made from a rubber tube filled with water that floats just below the surface. When a swell hits the front of it, the tube is squeezed. A bulge ripples down its length and powers a turbine in its tail. Prototypes are currently being tested, but the full-scale version will be 200 meters long. This system also looks like a snake, but this one is made of steel. It floats near the surface where waves make its joints move. This drives hydraulic systems that power electrical generators. Like the anaconda, it's still being tested. Results will prove if these devices are up to the job of supplying viable sources of green energy.