Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

Alternative Energy from the Ocean

In 1881, French engineer Jacques D’Arsonval was able to envision the notion of having Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). Too date, only one plant is employed anywhere in the world to pursue this goal and that is located at a laboratory in Hawaii. OTEC is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be funded and explored much more than it presently is but it is the expense that is the greatest problem. With such an unlimited power source, you can never ask for cheaper costs since the processes involved driving OTEC are complex and serious funding is required. Unfortunately, the other down-side to these plants is they have the potential to damage local environments which some critics say offsets any benefits they may bring.

OTEC

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Two date only three forms of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion techniques are available:

Propane which is an example of a low-boiling point liquid is what the “Closed Cycle OTEC” uses to act as an intermediate fluid. The Ocean Thermal Energy Plant use water from the sea which is pumped into a chamber converting the gas to liquid. rotates large turbines. The vapor is then cooled down by putting in cold sea water.

The primary difference between the Closed Cycle and the Open Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion methods is that the Open Cycle doe not require the use of the intermediate liquid. All that is used with this system is the sea water itself. Warm sea water found on the surface of the ocean is turned into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area and it has the power to drive the turbine. Once sufficient energy has been created, the now desalinated water is pumped to much lower ocean depths where it is cooled and ready to be used for people to drink.

At the moment, the “Hybrid Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion” still remains just a theory. It is a an overall way to use the entire energy created by the world’s oceans. The theory of Hybrid Cycling involves two sub-theories. Strangely, the first method uses the closed cycle system to provide power to create the vacuum that is used in the open cycle method. Using just one open cycle is not enough to create a massive amount of desalinated, potable water so the second component seeks to integrate two open cyclings that can produce twice as much as with just one.

In addition to being used for producing electricity, a closed cycle OTEC plant can be utilized for treating chemicals. Both the open cycling and close cycling kinds of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plants can also be used to pump up cold deep sea water which can be utilized for refrigeration and air conditioning. In addition, the enclosed area filled with sea water that surrounds the plant during the moderation period can be used for mariculture and aquaculture projects such as fish farming. We certainly can derive an array of products and services by using this alternative energy source.

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