July 14, 2009
A 30-metre-long floating wave power generator was towed out to Moreton Bay on Monday for the start of a six-month trial. The "Nautilus" prototype, designed by Brisbane inventor Ivan Voropaev and built with Queensland Government support, was lowered into the Brisbane River during a launch event at Murarrie last month. The device uses waves to push air between chambers to drive a turbine.The makers were hoping to tow it to a spot about five kilometres east of Nudgee Beach late last month to test the air flow in the $200,000 prototype, but they had to wait for calm conditions to take it out to sea. Advanced Wave Power director Gary Cooper said they had been on standby for the past week for still conditions.
The tests, which involve a plastic prototype capable of generating only 300 watts of power each hour, could lead to the development of bigger wave-power stations suited to small coastal and island communities in the future. Mr Voropaev said bigger wave power generators, deployed where waves were stronger, would generate much more power.
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