No-blade, Fish-friendly, Portable Hydrokinetic Energy Harvester

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy is found around the world with the potential to produce enough energy to meet the world’s current needs, and then some. This form of energy is a clean and renewable source which is currently harvested from two main forms of water flow: horizontal (currents, tides, rivers) and vertical (waves). For over a decade our sponsors at Vortex Hydro Power (VHP) have been developing technology to harness these flows, at slow speeds, through the University of Michigan, with the help of the Marine Renewable Energy Lab (MRELab). The goal of this project is to design and build a second prototype of Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy (VIVACE) that is more energy efficient mechanically and portable.

 

Course: ME 450

Instructional Team: Prof. Wenda Tan

Project Member(s): Jason Williams, Benjamin Schmeissing, Brannon Kincaid, Joseph Luna

Project Sponsor: n/a