Ocean Thermal Energy Coversion - OTEC

Southern Ocean is getting warmer the fastest by all accounts so start there.

you could be right, most of the experimental units have been based in Hawaii.

cheers

Don

I think I'd rather be in Hawaii than the Antarctic.

A brief description....

Warm water near the surface of the sea heats a liquid with a low boiling point (ammonia). Ammonia boils and the resulting gas drives the generating turbine. The ammonia gas is condesed by passing it through a condenser cooled by cold seawater that has been pumped up from the depths of the ocean. Condensed ammoina is returned to liquid form and used again as a continuous proces. Cooling water is returned to the deep.

Current experimental projects are working around the 10MW mark, but plans are afoot at 100MW with future hopes for 500MW sets.

cheers

Don

This theory/mechanism seems to have been around for ever.One would have thought it to commercial by now.

quote:

seems to have been around for ever

I was certainly aware of it around about 1975. Presumably an era of cheap and reliable oil put the OTEC programme on the back-burner until recent concerns about the political reliability of oil supplies.

Typical human behaviour....let's party!!

Cheers

Don

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:

quote:

seems to have been around for ever

I was certainly aware of it around about 1975. Presumably an era of cheap and reliable oil put the OTEC programme on the back-burner until recent concerns about the political reliability of oil supplies.

Typical human behaviour....let's party!!

Cheers

Don

Don, unfortunately that has been the excuse for every alternative fuel developed over the last 40 years. Problem is govt's,lobbyists, oil companies, auto manufacturers, etc... have put the kabbash on all of this. Now there will be more excuses as oil has dropped in price again with the recession and everyone claiming they are not making enough profit to justify further development. Will it ever end?

quote:

Will it ever end?

Probably not. But then, i'm just a cynic.

Lockheed Martin are apparently running trials up on Lake Ontario. I suppose that a downturn in the aerospace/ejection-seat business means they are broadening their interest base.

i am always surprised at the automobile industry. You'd think that they would consider that the more electricity generated by nuclear/hyro/coal that the more oil there would be left over for powering .....cars!

Cheers

Don

quote:

Originally posted by gary1 (US):

quote:

Originally posted by Don Atkinson:

quote:

seems to have been around for ever

I was certainly aware of it around about 1975. Presumably an era of cheap and reliable oil put the OTEC programme on the back-burner until recent concerns about the political reliability of oil supplies.

Typical human behaviour....let's party!!

Cheers

Don

Don, unfortunately that has been the excuse for every alternative fuel developed over the last 40 years. Problem is govt's,lobbyists, oil companies, auto manufacturers, etc... have put the kabbash on all of this. Now there will be more excuses as oil has dropped in price again with the recession and everyone claiming they are not making enough profit to justify further development. Will it ever end?

I wrote that just 6 days ago and it's already started. Unreal.

When I uploaded to the internet today the lead article in Yahoo was that OPEC wants to take measures to ensure that oil is at $75/barrel otherwise it will "make it unaffordable for them to further invest in oil evelopment and there will be an eventual shortage of supply."

What a load of rubbish. They just got used to the profit margins at $150/barrel and aren't satisfied with the profit at $50/barrel. I remember when it wasn't too long ago (just a few years back) when OPEC said oil had to be at $30/barrel to continue investment in development. It will never end.