Research into a new approach to extracting wave energy, in which the converting device lies on the sea floor, is being undertaken by the University California Berkeley. Known as a 'wave carpet', the device is based on the energy-absorbing characteristics of sea-floor mud, which is known to reduce wave height along beaches and in harbours. By lying on the sea bed, and conforming to its shape by using a flexible membrane, it can absorb substantial amounts of energy generated by surface waves. The device would be formed of a viscoelastic material (known as the 'carpet') placed over a network of vertically oriented springs and generators on the coastal sea floor. The carpet responds just like mud: as waves pass overhead, they induce dynamic ripples and undulations in its sprung surface, and these perturbations can be used to generate electricity.
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