This makes sense.

VIVACE stands for Vortex Induced Vibrations for Aquatic Clean Energy. It doesn't depend on waves, tides, turbines or dams. It's a unique hydrokinetic energy system that relies on "vortex induced vibrations."

Vortex induced vibrations are undulations that a rounded or cylinder-shaped object makes in a flow of fluid, which can be air or water. The presence of the object puts kinks in the current's speed as it skims by. This causes eddies, or vortices, to form in a pattern on opposite sides of the object. The vortices push and pull the object up and down or left and right, perpendicular to the current. . .

The working prototype in his lab is just one sleek cylinder attached to springs. The cylinder hangs horizontally across the flow of water in a tractor-trailer-sized tank in his marine renewable energy laboratory. The water in the tank flows at 1.5 knots. . .

Just a few cylinders might be enough to power an anchored ship, or a lighthouse, Bernitsas says. These cylinders could be stacked in a short ladder. The professor estimates that array of VIVACE converters the size of a running track and about two stories high could power about 100,000 houses. Such an array could rest on a river bed or it could dangle, suspended in the water. But it would all be under the surface.

Because the oscillations of VIVACE would be slow, it is theorized that the system would not harm marine life like dams and water turbines can.

Bernitsas says VIVACE energy would cost about 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Wind energy costs 6.9 cents a kilowatt hour. Nuclear costs 4.6, and solar power costs between 16 and 48 cents per kilowatt hour depending on the location.

"There won't be one solution for the world's energy needs," Bernitsas said. "But if we could harness 0.1 percent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people."

With energy many things become possible. Powering a ship or a lighthouse is nice, but powering a desalinization plant or a hydrogen generator would be more valuable. Making fresh water and valuable gases out of sea water would be hugely beneficial, especially since so much of the world's population lives near the sea. Locating productions facilities offshore would save energy transmission loss and save land space as well. And those who dream of seasteading might have an elegant solution to their power needs.

There are other offshore industries that could use this sort of steady power to process seawater. There are many valuable elements dissolved in seawater - everything from precious metals to radioactive materials - and with cheap and reliable energy automated facilities to extract and concentrate them could make economic sense.

The unobtrusive and non-destructive nature of these devices, and the low energy differential needed, makes them very attractive. And, they are cheap. I want one.