Title :
Eco-friendly bearing for tidal power generation
Author :
Nakanishi, Yoichiro ; Shimazu, Keiko ; Matsumoto, Yuki ; Kai, Shen ; Oka, Yuichi ; Higaki, Hiroaki
Author_Institution :
Grad. Sch. of Sci. & Technol., Kumamoto Univ., Kumamoto, Japan
Abstract :
An environmentally friendly and low-friction bearing for applications such as tidal power generation is proposed using biomimetic technologies. A biomimetic bearing was successfully developed using a hydrated material, polyvinyl formal (PVF), which mimics articular cartilage in a natural synovial joint. A non-Newtonian fluid, polyethylene glycol (PEG) dissolved in distilled water, was used as a lubricant, and the biomimetic bearing exhibited excellent frictional properties at start-up, at steady state, and at near zero velocity.
Keywords :
tidal power stations; PEG; PVF; articular cartilage; biomimetic technologies; distilled water; ecofriendly bearing; environmentally friendly bearing; frictional properties; hydrated material; low-friction bearing; lubricant; natural synovial joint; near zero velocity; nonNewtonian fluid; polyethylene glycol; polyvinyl formal; start-up; steady state; tidal power generation; Fluids; Friction; Joints; Lubricants; Lubrication; Power generation; Bearing; Biomimetics; Friction; Lubrication; Tidal power generation;
Conference_Titel :
Renewable Energy Research and Applications (ICRERA), 2012 International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Nagasaki
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-2328-4
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4673-2329-1
DOI :
10.1109/ICRERA.2012.6477470
