Can Biomimicry Be a Useful Tool for Design for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation? - Biotechnologies and Biomimetics for Civil Engineering - page 92

Fig. 4.6 Image of biowave unit (Source Biopower systems)

The Australian company BioPower has, for example, developed underwater
power generators called BioWAVE that oscillate in ocean waves and currents
rather than rotate like turbines (Fig. 4.6 ). Baker ( 2011 ) says of the technology:
'The BioWave system sits on the floor of the ocean with three buoyant blades
extending from the base. These buoyant blades, which can reach heights of 25 and
19.5 m wide (for all three blades combined), sway back and forth with the motion
of the waves. These blades reach almost to the top of the water where the flow of
the water is most powerful. The motion of the blades drives an on-board generator
to produce electricity, which is then transported from the system to the shore
through cables on the seabed.'
Through the use of permanent magnet motors, the low-speed high-torque
oscillation is converted into high-speed low-torque rotation. Units are anchored to
the ocean floor by the use of a series of small root-like devices to avoid extensive,
habitat damaging and complicated drilling and installation. The generators rotate
freely to orient themselves towards currents and in the same way can lie flat in
storm events to avoid damage (BioPower Systems 2011 ; Finnigan and Caska
2006 ). The units are made from lightweight, non-corrosive, durable composite
materials. They are more lightweight than comparable wave power systems and
possibly more material and cost-effective (Baker 2011 ). A 250 kW 4-year grid
connected pilot study of the technology, funded in part by the Victorian Gov-
ernment in Australia, began in 2012 near Port Fairy. Installation of the pilot
BioWAVE is estimated to be completed in 2015. BioPower state they have