Vivace Underwater Renewable Energy

Marine renewable energy is a new form of readily available energy. The basic principal is to use the ‘motion of the ocean’ to generate electricity by moving underwater rods. These rods create a vortex of energy that will soon be able to replace conventional energy sources.

“For the past 25 years, engineers—myself included—have been trying to suppress vortex induced vibrations. But now at Michigan we’re doing the opposite. We enhance the vibrations and harness this powerful and destructive force in nature,” said VIVACE developer Michael Bernitsas, a professor in the U-M Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

Just a few cylinders could possibly power an anchored ship or a lighthouse. An array of VIVACE cylinders about the size of a running track could produce energy at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour and power about 100,000 houses. U of M is now working on possibly deploying a pilot project in the Detroit River within the next 18 months. [UMich via Gizmag] [Gizmodo]

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