LONDON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A British inventor has created the Searaser -- a device that uses the motion of waves to pump water uphill to drive hydroelectric generators.

The Times of London reported prototype testing shows the device can pump more than 160 feet of water uphill through a pipe the diameter of a saucer. The full-size device is expected to pump water at least 650 feet.


Inventor Alvin Smith, an engineer, said he designed the device to help Britain end its reliance on fossil fuels. He said the Searaser could also be used to pump desalinated water inland in dry countries. The device could help Britain meet its target of getting 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources, the newspaper said.

The wave pump consists of two floats fitted to a double-acting piston. Water is pumped as the floats are pushed together and then forced apart by the motion of the waves. Smith said one full-size device should be able to pump enough water to keep 470 homes supplied with electricity.