The blades of the turbine, shaped like the helical strands of a DNA molecule, turn as the underwater current passes through them.
Has anyone proposed using these instead of hydroelectric dams? How much will it affect wildlife? Can fish swim among the turbines?
Edit: video shows these are arranged like lawnmower blades, so the fish would probably be chewed up. I wonder, if they were turned sideways, so the water flowed through the center -- would they turn at all?
They wouldn't turn, (sort of) like an aircraft wing flying sideways, it is not designed to create lift in that direction. These blades have big paddles that catch the force of the water and push it (like a waterwheel).
Has anyone proposed using these instead of hydroelectric dams? How much will it affect wildlife? Can fish swim among the turbines?
Edit: video shows these are arranged like lawnmower blades, so the fish would probably be chewed up. I wonder, if they were turned sideways, so the water flowed through the center -- would they turn at all?