Flying kites... under water

For Tiffany's, Philippe Vauthier fashioned a gold chalice for Pope John Paul II, and a brace of gold-trimmed derringers for a Virginia historical society, which somehow wound up in the possession of Gregory Peck. That was in another life, as they say, one he left behind after he won a patent for an underwater turbine he designed to harvest energy from ocean tides and the flow of rivers. Though he disdains the word, he is an inventor.

To Mr. Vauthier, a naturalized Canadian, born and trained in the jeweler's craft in Switzerland, inventions don't happen: "There are innovations. People observe things in nature and make use of them. The turbine exploits the laws of physics, which were always there."

He calls his "innovation" the Underwater Electric Kite, or UEK. This is the logo of the firm he and his artist wife, Denise, established here in 1981. The turbine is so named because it moves like a kite: Anchored to the bottom by a cable and controlled by a computer, it rises or descends searching for the layer of water where the tidal current runs fastest.

Faster currents yield more energy. Marine turbines, propellers contained within a housing, do underwater what windmills do in the air: draw energy from their element.

Vauthier has had some success with his aquatic kites. He is working with Alaska Power and Telephone Company, a utility, to put two turbines in the Yukon River to provide power for the town of Eagle. Bob Grimm, president of Alaska Power, says he thinks the UEK technology "might be revolutionary."

Vauthier designed one for the New York Power Authority for use in the East River. He has a contract to put two in a river in Zambia, to light a missionary school and hospital, and also in the Caqueta River in Colombia to serve two local communities.

His projects, usually 50 to 100 kilowatts, haven't been large. Nor have his earnings. Yet he's undaunted. "You lose until you win," he says, with the peculiar pride of the determined survivor. "I didn't get rich, but what a great ride!" He sees his life as "an intellectual adventure."

As alternative energies go, tidal power is one of the most difficult to master. Not every inlet or bay is suitable for a turbine and undersea cables. Repairing equipment underwater is difficult and corrosion a constant problem. Also, disrupting the flow of currents or tides can harm fish and other aquatic life. While Canada, Russia, and France have pursued major tidal projects, the technology remains a stepchild here.

Nonetheless, devotees believe tapping the power of the tides can contribute to the nation's power grid in local areas, and interest in various ocean technologies is growing. "It is more than just a gleam in the eye," says Andrew Trenka, an alternative energy expert at the US Department of Energy. "We are in a time when we need to look at these technologies much more aggressively."

Vauthier has been pursuing his vision of underwater electrical sockets since the first oil shock, in 1973. At the time, the shortage brought widespread panic, lines at the gas pump, and President Carter's plea to conserve energy, which set Vauthier to thinking: What better purpose than to find a way to produce clean, renewable energy - to help end the addiction to fossil fuels? Thus inspired, he built his turbine and established UEK.

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