1.
With
a
majority
of
earth’s
surface
covered
in
water,
sub-­‐surface
power
generation
is
an
incredible
and
yet
almost
completely
untapped
renewable
resource.
The
fact
of
the
matter
is
that
fossil
fuels
are
an
unsustainable
model
for
electrical
power
generation.
As
the
United
States
continues
to
depend
on
fossil
fuels
we
get
closer
and
closer
to
a
scenario
where
the
consequences
of
Climate
Change,
resource
depletion
and
O-­‐zone
deterioration
become
severe
and
irreversible.
Thus
we
propose
the
research
and
development
of
a
vertical
axis
sub-­‐
surface
hydrokinetic
turbine
that
will
harness
the
power
of
oceanic
currents
to
generate
electricity.
The
University
of
Central
Florida
College
of
Computer
Science
and
Engineering
for
providing
this
experience
to
innovate,
design,
and
build
our
projects,
bettering
ourselves
as
up-­‐and-­‐coming
Engineers.
Dr.
Ramesh
Bhavsar
and
Tracy
Omdahl
as
being
our
Faculty
Advisor
and
Technical
Advisor,
respectively,
providing
guidance
on
our
project
over
the
past
year.
GermFree
and
the
UCF
Engineering
Manufacturing
Lab
for
providing
feedback
on
the
design
for
this
project,
as
well
as
ultimately
machining
the
parts
needed
for
final
assembly.
The
Hydro-­‐Knights
Sub-­‐Surface
Hydrokinetics
We
would
like
to
extend
our
greatest
gratitude
to…
Why
Go
to
the
Big
Blue?
Sub-­‐Surface
Hydrokinetics
Green,
Clean,
Renewable
Energy
from
our
Oceans

2.
1
Currently,
the
reason
why
underwater
power
generation
isn’t
as
widely
used
is
due
to
several
factors:
• not
competitive
with
fossil
fuels
• low
operating
costs
but
high
installation
costs
with
long
payback
periods
• site
selection
to
reduce
environmental
effects
is
difficult
The
purpose
of
this
project
was
to
do
the
research
to
determine
whether
a
viable
option
could
be
made
that
was
scalable
for
large
and
small
applications,
be
economical
on
both
the
implementation
and
prolonged
use,
and
whether
it
could
provide
power
on
a
more
grand
scale
to
mainland
consumers.
Research
on
the
topic
involved
contact
with
national
and
local
EPA
offices,
online
research
on
power
generation
techniques
and
their
2
measures,
and
eventually
our
own
testing
on
our
apparatus.
Tidal
energy
is
measured
in
Terrawatt-­‐hours
per
year
(TWh/yr),
and
just
1
TWh/yr
can
power
93,850
U.S.
homes—along
the
U.S.
Continental
Shelf,
it
has
been
estimated
that
a
total
recoverable
amount
of
1,170
TWh/yr
can
be
harnessed,
keeping
in
mind
that
amount
is
what
the
U.S.
uses
in
a
third
of
the
year.
This
design
allows
for
either
bottom
attachment
or
top
floating
for
position
placement
to
reduce
impact
on
the
environment.
The
reduced
drag
of
the
blade
deactivation
method
allows
for
increased
efficiency
as
well
as
decreased
wildlife
impact.
Keeping
in
mind
that
future
models
would
use
lighter
materials
with
required
strength
properties,
this
design
becomes
a
competitive
option
for
the
future
of
our
planet.
What
We’d
Like
to
Utilize
and
How…
What’s
on
the
Market?
The
most
prevalent
options
on
the
market
for
both
commercial
and
private
use
include
Solar,
Wind,
and
Underwater
Power
Generation.
All
have
their
advantages
for
implementation;
however,
as
of
now,
most
systems
are
area-­‐based
depending
on
the
environmental
conditions—no
one
specific
system
helps
to
contribute
on
a
larger,
regional
level.
Many
wind
power
systems
are
placed
in
either
open
plains
or
areas
where
beginning
ridge-­‐lift
occurs,
and
solar
systems
seem
to
stay
in
open
spans
of
land
and
require
a
large
amount
of
real
estate.
Largely,
the
underwater
units
supply
power
to
small,
coastal
areas
because
they
aren’t
installed
in
similar
numbers
to
wind
and
solar
units.