Out of the Vortex

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the Vortex Induced Vibration for Aquatic Clean Energy (VIVACE) converter. Unlike typical hydroelectric power stations, the VIVACE converter does not need to impound water behind a dam to create a head. Water is allowed to flow freely over the cylinders. Also in contrast to many hydrokinetic technologies that have been proposed in the last decade, the converter does not use a turbine, making it safer for aquatic life that swim past or through it. Another advantage of the VIVACE technology is its scalability. Not only can the technology be deployed in few watt-, kilowatt-, megawatt-, or even gigawatt-scale installations, but also the science and engineering is basically the same at every scale. The VIVACE converter is a clean and simple machine that promises to provide cheap and plentiful electricity. There is certainly work that needs to be done to optimize the system, but there is no reason to doubt that the converter can operate as expected.