Abstract
This chapter discusses technological development and environment consideration for ocean current energy conversion. No major facility exists at present for extracting the energy from ocean currents; however, the technology required is available for such development without major new breakthroughs. Types of water turbines capable of using low velocity currents in power generating schemes are presented in the chapter. These include: (1) the open propeller (dubbed underwater windmill); (2) the Kaplan turbine (a ducted device); (3) the Savonius rotor (a small version of which is currently used); (4) the Voight–Schneider propeller (a number of vertically arranged blades attached to a large horizontal disc); and (5) the water low velocity energy converter, operated by parachutes attached to a continuous belt that the chutes pull along as they move with the current. As with other schemes for energy transformation from renewable ocean sources, conversion of energy from sea currents is clean. There are no direct discharge wastes formed as by-products of the generation of electricity from the kinetic energy of the currents, and pollution of the neighboring environment is minimal.