MEGA ENERGY ARCHIPELAGO
The Mega Energy Archipelago is the fusion of two very different energy sources-- oil and wind. This concept springs from the unique conditions affecting offshore oil rigs in areas prone to frequent tropical cyclones. The archipelago strives to both resist and respond to hurricane forces. It resists the wind forces of the storm by using an aerodynamic shape to deflect direct winds, protecting the structure itself and the oil rig inside. It responds to storm conditions by utilizing the high force winds to generate electrical energy. This combination of oil rigs and wind farms creates a unique tension between dirty, fossil fuel pollution and clean, renewable wind energy. The Mega Energy cities will be sites that simultaneously harvest two very different forms of energy in the same location.

The wind turbines are mounted on the front of the aerodynamic structures to catch the wind energy. The structures are oriented with the oil rig at their center and are able to pivot around that point. This allows the structures to point towards the wind direction to simultaneously catch the wind and deflect it from interior spaces. When tropical storms are not present, the stations will be oriented towards the prevailing wind, and they will rotate to point into the wind currents of storms as they come.

The Mega Energy Archipelago is located off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, as seen in the following images from Google Earth.



Exact locations of existing rigs show the close proximity of oil platforms, making the proposed energy stations easily connected to form a network of individual communities connected by a common transportation network.

Great attention was brought to this site in 2005 when damage done to oil rigs during Hurricane Katrina caused an oil shortage for the southern United States. The importance of this site is further validated with mappings of tropical storm strikes across the world. When individual storm strikes are mapped according to location, intensity, and frequency, a storm archipelago begins to form across the world as the strikes build up over time.
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As the storm impacts overlap each other, certain areas of highest impact begin to emerge. These areas reveal the locations of the most storm activity, as seen in the darkest red areas on the following images.



[MORE MAPPINGS]
Overlaying rig locations with impact regions reveals the areas that both share. These areas are prime locations for Mega Energy Archipelagoes.

Inside each structure are multiple levels of occupied space, with open space in the center to give sufficient room to the oil rig. Each level consists of housing and businesses, allowing each energy station to become a functioning community on the water.

In the center of the structure there is an opening at the top to allow any dangerous fumes or smoke from the oil rigs to escape from the enclosure. Fumes can also leave through the back of the structure which is open to let in sunlight and fresh air. These energy cities are accessible by car or train via a series of bridges that connect them together as a network and connect them back to land, forming the whole Mega Energy Archipelago.

The wind turbines are mounted on the front of the aerodynamic structures to catch the wind energy. The structures are oriented with the oil rig at their center and are able to pivot around that point. This allows the structures to point towards the wind direction to simultaneously catch the wind and deflect it from interior spaces. When tropical storms are not present, the stations will be oriented towards the prevailing wind, and they will rotate to point into the wind currents of storms as they come.

The Mega Energy Archipelago is located off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, as seen in the following images from Google Earth.



Exact locations of existing rigs show the close proximity of oil platforms, making the proposed energy stations easily connected to form a network of individual communities connected by a common transportation network.

Great attention was brought to this site in 2005 when damage done to oil rigs during Hurricane Katrina caused an oil shortage for the southern United States. The importance of this site is further validated with mappings of tropical storm strikes across the world. When individual storm strikes are mapped according to location, intensity, and frequency, a storm archipelago begins to form across the world as the strikes build up over time.



As the storm impacts overlap each other, certain areas of highest impact begin to emerge. These areas reveal the locations of the most storm activity, as seen in the darkest red areas on the following images.



[MORE MAPPINGS]
Overlaying rig locations with impact regions reveals the areas that both share. These areas are prime locations for Mega Energy Archipelagoes.

Inside each structure are multiple levels of occupied space, with open space in the center to give sufficient room to the oil rig. Each level consists of housing and businesses, allowing each energy station to become a functioning community on the water.

In the center of the structure there is an opening at the top to allow any dangerous fumes or smoke from the oil rigs to escape from the enclosure. Fumes can also leave through the back of the structure which is open to let in sunlight and fresh air. These energy cities are accessible by car or train via a series of bridges that connect them together as a network and connect them back to land, forming the whole Mega Energy Archipelago.
