Weekly Feature: Bringing Ocean Energy to Your Outlets Inventor Lance McMullan, based in Juneau, Alaska, is working on a revolutionary way to harness ocean energy. McMullan spends most of his time in his garage on Douglas Island, developing a tidal generator that converts powerful ocean currents into renewable electricity. McMullan's journey started while he was a deckhand on a troller in Sitka, where he envisioned a tidal generator that could be dragged along like fishing hooks. This led him to pursue engineering studies and eventually develop the Chinook 3.0 tidal generator. Unlike many tidal projects anchored to the ocean floor, the Chinook 3.0 is free-floating and portable, weighing less than a hundred pounds. It is designed to be easily deployed from the back of a boat, where it can generate 1.6 kilowatts of electricity. McMullan's goal is to make tidal power accessible and affordable, particularly for diesel-dependent coastal communities in Alaska. The Chinook 3.0's plastic construction helps keep costs low and addresses maintenance challenges posed by harsh ocean conditions. When a generator breaks, it can be replaced, and the plastic can be recycled. McMullan's company, Sitkana, aims to revolutionize ocean power in the same way rooftop solar panels have transformed solar energy. The Chinook 3.0 is expected to hit the market next year for about $2,000 each. For more information on this innovative project, read the full article by Anna Canny at https://alaskapublic.org/2024/05/24/a-juneau-inventor-wants-to-bring-ocean-energy-to-your-outlets/
Posted by InventorNews at 2024-05-27 15:10:24 UTC