A new, more efficient waterwheel design for very-low-head hydropower schemes

Very-low-head hydropower constitutes a large untapped renewable energy source, estimated at 1 GW in the UK alone. A new type of low-impact waterwheel has been developed and tested at Abertay University in Scotland to improve the economic viability of such schemes. For example, on a 2·5 m high weir in the UK with 5 m3/s mean flow, one waterwheel could produce an annual investment return of 7·5% for over 100 years. This paper describes the evolution of the design and reports on scale-model tests. These show that the new design harnesses significant potential and kinetic energy to generate power and handles over four times as much water per metre width compared to traditional designs

Effects of high temperature and CO2 on intracellular DMSP in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa

This paper is a contribution to the UK Ocean acidification research Programme (Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grant NE/H017305/) and to the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland (MASTS). This research was conducted whilst HLB was initially in receipt of NERC studentship funding (NE/H525303/1) and ultimately a MASTS Research Fellowship, PJCD was in receipt of a MASTS PhD studentship, NAK was in receipt of Royal Society of Edinburgh/Scottish Government Fellow ship (RES 48704/1) and SJH was in receipt of a NERC Independent Research Fellowship (NE/K009028/1). SJH, LCW and JMR acknowledge support from Heriot–Watt University’s Environment and Climate Change Theme.Significant warming and acidification of the oceans is projected to occur by the end of the century. CO2 vents, areas of upwelling and downwelling, and potential leaks from carbon capture and storage facilities may also cause localised environmental changes, enhancing or depressing the effect of global climate change. Cold-water coral ecosystems are threatened by future changes in carbonate chemistry, yet our knowledge of the response of these corals to high temperature and high CO2 conditions is limited. Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP), and its breakdown product dimethylsulphide (DMS), are putative antioxidants that may be accumulated by invertebrates via their food or symbionts, although recent research suggests that some invertebrates may also be able to synthesise DMSP. This study provides the first information on the impact of high temperature (12°C) and high CO2 (817 ppm) on intracellular DMSP in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa from the Mingulay Reef Complex, Scotland (56°49′N, 07°23′W), where in situ environmental conditions are meditated by tidally induced downwellings. An increase in intracellular DMSP under high CO2 conditions was observed, whilst water column particulate DMS + DMSP was reduced. In both high temperature treatments, intracellular DMSP was similar to the control treatment, whilst dissolved DMSP + DMS was not significantly different between any of the treatments. These results suggest that L. pertusa accumulates DMSP from the surrounding water column; uptake may be up-regulated under high CO2 conditions, but mediated by high temperature. These results provide new insight into the biotic control of deep-sea biogeochemistry and may impact our understanding of the global sulphur cycle, and the survival of cold-water corals under projected global change.PostprintPeer reviewe