A group of researchers from Anna University in India, Kinowave, has invented a renewable energy model that is more accessible to everyone: Kinocil. This generator is currently being perfected for use in the ocean with a power of 10 kW. The design guarantees simple and cheaper installation and the ability to supply approximately five families in the initial phase.
Kinocil: a floating wave power plant
Kinocil is an electricity generator that works with wave technology: it is a floating power station that converts the energy of sea waves into electricity.
The structure consists of vertical tanks connected by horizontal pipes. The liquid in the tanks moves to the rhythm of the waves and, thanks to the movement, creates kinetic energy which is collected with floats and Wells turbines.
The original design was made with plastic bottles connected with pipes. Although the results with this structure were stunning, the researchers noticed that the water flow between the tanks was too slow. So they used tanks and pipes for greater efficiency. In the third design they made, they concluded that they added floats to give force to the movement of the current.
One of the important pieces is the Wells turbines. By placing the blades of this turbine parallel to the air, the fan can rotate in the same direction, even though the airflow is constantly changing. This model has led to similar projects in other countries modifying their designs using Wells turbines.
Kicinol efficiency with the final design
Initial tests showed that wave movements are converted into electricity with a range of 65% efficiency. A percentage that puts Kicinol above other environmentally friendly electricity generation systems. The Kinowave team developed its prototype technology based on Pascal’s law, which states that the pressure exerted on a liquid in a closed container is transferred equally in all directions.
The movement of the waves causes a dynamic flow in the tanks. This makes it possible to harness the energy of the sea without the need for complex anchors on the seabed.
Benefits that Kinocil offers
The main advantage that Kinocil offers is its easy installation. Because this energy generator is floating, there is no need for fixed and complex structures on the seabed. And precisely because it floats, it can be quickly installed in various coastal locations.
Another advantage is that it supports the use of other renewable technologies within the design, to complement its operation and to achieve better and higher performance.
In the last of the several designs to be made, Kinocil appears with two solar panels on top of its tubes. This design has already been used in other projects, as demonstrated by NoviOcean and Copower Ocean.
Both generators appear to be simple installations, but as sources indicate, they rely on a complex system attached to the seabed at the bottom. For this reason These prototypes do not represent a temporary option, another advantage of Kinocil.
The NoviOcean can generate 1 kW from the combination of wave, solar and wind technology in a single structure. Like the Copper Ocean, it may seem like an easy-to-install generator: it resembles a sea buoy. However, its installation is not accessible to everyone due to the complexity of the anchoring system.
Another point to think about is that Kinocil is part of the development of numerous research projects, which They create electrical generators that are easy to install and transport, putting renewable energy within everyone’s reach..