Any device aiming to harness the abundant clean and renewable energy from ocean and other water resources must have high energy density, be unobtrusive, have low maintenance, be robust, meet life cycle cost targets, and have a life. The vortex induced vibration aquatic clean energy (VIVACE) converter—invented by Bernitsas and Raghavan, patent pending through the University of Michigan—satisfies those criteria. It converts ocean/river current hydrokinetic energy to a usable form of energy such as electricity using VIV successfully and efficiently for the first time. VIVACE is based on the idea of maximizing rather than spoiling vortex shedding and exploiting rather than suppressing VIV. It introduces optimal damping for energy conversion while maintaining VIV over a broad range of vortex shedding synchronization. VIV occurs over very broad ranges of Reynolds (Re) number. Only three transition regions suppress VIV. Thus, even from currents as slow as , VIVACE can extract energy with high power conversion ratio making ocean/river current energy a more accessible and economically viable resource. In this paper, the underlying concepts of the VIVACE converter are discussed. The designs of the physical model and laboratory prototype are presented. A mathematical model is developed, and design particulars for a wide range of application scales are calculated. Experimental measurements on the laboratory prototype are reported in the sequel paper and used here for preliminary benchmarking.
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November 2008
Ocean Engineering
VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibration Aquatic Clean Energy): A New Concept in Generation of Clean and Renewable Energy From Fluid Flow
Michael M. Bernitsas, Ph.D.,
Michael M. Bernitsas, Ph.D.
Professor
Fellow ASME
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
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Kamaldev Raghavan,
Kamaldev Raghavan
Graduate Student, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
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Y. Ben-Simon,
Y. Ben-Simon
Graduate Student, N.A. Professional Degree
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
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E. M. H. Garcia
E. M. H. Garcia
Graduate Student, Ph.D. Pre-Candidate
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
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Michael M. Bernitsas, Ph.D.
Professor
Fellow ASME
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
Kamaldev Raghavan
Graduate Student, Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
Y. Ben-Simon
Graduate Student, N.A. Professional Degree
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145
E. M. H. Garcia
Graduate Student, Ph.D. Pre-Candidate
Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering,
University of Michigan
, 2600 Draper, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2145J. Offshore Mech. Arct. Eng. Nov 2008, 130(4): 041101 (15 pages)
Published Online: September 16, 2008
Article history
Received:
January 30, 2007
Revised:
July 10, 2007
Published:
September 16, 2008
Citation
Bernitsas, M. M., Raghavan, K., Ben-Simon, Y., and Garcia, E. M. H. (September 16, 2008). "VIVACE (Vortex Induced Vibration Aquatic Clean Energy): A New Concept in Generation of Clean and Renewable Energy From Fluid Flow." ASME. J. Offshore Mech. Arct. Eng. November 2008; 130(4): 041101. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2957913
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