Know More About Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

Alternative Energy from the Ocean

Using the ocean for energy is not a new concept but one system ‘Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion’ has been around (mainly in theory only) since 1881 when the Frenchman Jacques D’Arsonval first discovered it. In fact very little has been done to harness power this way with just a single lab on the island of Hawaii. The demand to finance this potential alternative energy source for further study is way beyond what most governments are prepared to go. 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. Unintentionally, due to the disruptive effects that most of our current technologies give out to our environment and society, setting up OTEC plants can not avoid inflicting damages to any locality.

There are three kinds of OTEC:

“Closed Cycle OTEC” uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plant works in a way that it boils the intermediate fluid once it pumps the warm sea water into the reaction chamber. This results in the intermediate fluid’s vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, which thus generates electricity. Cold sea water then reverses the process, reducing the temperature of the liquid, turning it back into a gas.

“Open Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion” is not that different from closed cycling, except in the Open Cycle there is no intermediate fluid. In this kind of OTEC format, the main driver of the engine’s turbine is the sea water itself. To turn the warmer surface sea water into a low pressure vapor, it is pumped into a vacuum. By cleverly releasing this vapor into a highly focused area, it is possible for it to pump the rotate the turbines. The benefit of this system is that once the water has been used and electricity generated, salt is removed (as part of the process), then it is pumped to much lower depths where it cools down ready to be used as drinking water.

At the moment, the “Hybrid Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion” still remains just a theory. It seeks to describe the way that we could make maximum usage of the thermal energy of the ocean’s waters. However, it already has two sub-theories about how it can be employed. The first involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity which is, in turn, used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling. 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.

Apart from generating electricity on demand, a closed cycle production plant can also be employed in the treatment of chemicals. Moreover, refrigeration and air conditioning are other areas to which the used of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plants with both open cycling and close cycling kinds can be very beneficial by pumping up cold deep sea water. Fish farming is also a benefit of using the water surrounding these plants as well as other mariculture and aquaculture studies. Perhaps you can see why this energy source has so many people interested as it has more than one benefit and much more research is required into the other possibilities it has.