First it was Microsoft with the launch of it’s half billion $ new advertising campaign and now it appears that rival Google has also caught a case of Sea-Fever.
Ashlee Vance recently wrote in the NY Times Bits blog:
The search and advertising company has filed for a patent that describes a “water-based data center.” The idea is that Google would create mobile data center platforms out at sea by stacking containers filled with servers, storage systems and networking gear on barges or other platforms.
This would let Google push computing centers closer to people in some regions where it’s not feasible, cost-effective or as efficient to build a data center on land. In short, Google brings the data closer to you, and then the data arrives at a quicker clip.
Perhaps even more intriguing to some, Google has theorized about powering these ocean data centers with energy gained just from water splashing against the side of the barges.
The great BLDGBLOG had an excerpt from the patent application:
In general, computing centers are located on a ship or ships, which are then anchored in a water body from which energy from natural motion of the water may be captured, and turned into electricity and/or pumping power for cooling pumps to carry heat away from computers in the data center.
Pelamis Wave Power Ltd is an industry leader in wave energy and here’s how their generator/converter works:
YouTube – Wave power: how it works
In action:
YouTube – Pelamis Wave – Seatrials
Other articles
Google makes waves and may have solved the data center conundrum – ZD Net – September 8, 2008
Google files patent for wave-powered floating data center – CNET News – September 8, 2008
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Sea-Fever blog 
Yeah it sounds a little wacky and it might just be a flyer but when Google files a patent, people take notice.
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. Honestly – even steel ships are constantly degrading and rusting. I can’t think of any item on the planet which would get it’s ass kicked more by salt water than electronics. There’s plenty of land away from the corrosive atmosphere of the ocean where google could put data centers – wind powered, solar powered, anything else!
Nice Videos. Its great to see work being done in this direction. I wonder how long its going to be before we see its derived applications on ships.
Cheers,
Velu