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When the cylinders are vertical as shown here, they do not float
to the surface of the water, and they produce more electricity.
This system generates electricity in slow-moving water as well as
in faster-moving water. Most of the currents in rivers and the ocean
around major population centers are slow. The machines are affordable
and reliable. They are silent and invisible to everyone on land. Fish
can safely swim among the cylinders, so there is little impact on the
environment. The engineers are testing the device in a river to collect
data about its use in the environment.
“Beta 1” was first tested on the St. Clair River near Port Huron,
Michigan. It worked! Now machines are being built for testing in other
parts of the world. Engineers are looking for ways to make the machine
more efficient. They are studying the way that fish swim closely
together in schools. Bringing the cylinders on the device closer together
might improve efficiency. Making the machines more efficient will
make electricity less expensive.
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