Ocean Generates Electricity
That electric eel ain’t fresh, Lenny.
What? Free, fuel-less electricity from the ocean? Yes, and it produces no waste, unless you call fresh water a waste product.
No, I’m not talking about harvesting energy from the electric eel. This technology is called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, or OTEC. If you are thinking wow, free electricity from the ocean is some cool, new idea, you’re half right. A Frenchman named Jacque Arsene D’Arsonval invented OTEC in 1881. But it is very cool.
Come on in, I’ll show you how it works. Even got some nice pictures…
How it works
Everyone knows water boils at 212°F / 100°C, right? Well, yes, at sea level it does, but in the Colorado Rockies, where I used to live, at 7,500 ft. elevation, water boiled at 190°F / 88°C. That’s simply because the air is 25% thinner at 7,500 ft. than at sea level. And the higher you go, the lower the air pressure, and the lower is the boiling point of water.
Indeed, it’s possible to get water, or some other “working fluid” to boil at 80°F / 27°C, simply by having the air pressure low enough. Then, if you are clever, Like Jaque D’arsonval, you can use the steam to drive a turbine which turns a generator which makes your electricity. Like this:
| There is enough energy in the ocean to generate 300 times more electricity than the whole world needs. |
Where can we get 80° water? How about the OCEAN near the EQUATOR? Sounds like a plan? Sounds good to me, because the ocean is the biggest solar collector we have. It soaks up the sun’s energy all day and stores it, keeping the surface water warm all night. So you could have your OTEC generating electricity full time. There is enough energy in the ocean to generate 300 times more electricity than the whole world needs.
Ideal Locations
Wherever you have at least a 40°F difference between deep water and surface water, you can use an OTEC. Ideally, you want to be near land, where there are people who need electricity. Here’s a map, showing suitable areas in yellow, and ideal in red.
Who is doing this?
I found it encouraging that there is an actual, commercial enterprise pursuing this technology as their product. The company is called Sea Solar Power, and they are funded by The Abell Foundation of Baltimore, Maryland. They are a charitable organization whose mission is to support important new technologies.
How soon will the technology be ready?
A small but commercial-sized floating plant, 40MW, could be built within about 39 months. That one pilot plant would power 10,000 homes.
This would establish a working prototype and a test bed on which to evaluate and improve components. At the same time, electricity (and other products) could be generated to pay off the plant.
What’s it cost?
Although small experimental plants have been built both in open cycle and in closed cycle, a full-size and continuously-operating commercial demonstration plant has not been built. A demonstration plant would be 10 MW to 40 MW size, but it will be expensive. It will probably cost $100-200 million dollars.
– E.J. Wilson (Zehaas)
Popularity: 25% [?]
Loading ...
Harold P. Sanders said:
I thought I knew of this but I was wrong. I saw the one that used the ocean current to turn generators. This looks a lot better. Oh you need some pocket change for it (100 millon - 200 millon).
Lets hope someone picks up the tab.
Zehaas said:
$200 million isn’t even pocket lint for some people. Look at Billy Bob Gates. And it’s the least he can do, after making us suffer through 8-minute boot-ups in XP — E.J.
Harold P. Sanders said:
YES!!! I do hate waiting on boot ups as well.
And the 200 million would be a write off too for him.
Punkin said:
This is like “Smile, you’re on candid Learning”. I feel hopeful and i may just need to go to an ocean, say May, and see if i can feel any electricity. Anyone wanna come with me? Keep up the good work!
Thomas Bjelkeman-Pettersson said:
For more news about OTEC, read http://www.otecnews.org/
TC said:
This is an interesting technology. I went to do some research to really understand what it is. I found it’s basically a refrigeration system with the expansion valve replaced with a turbine. I see how it works, but I do wonder just how much work you can actually get out of the system. I can’t wait until they get a test facility up and running.
Zehaas said:
Thank you, Mr. Pettersson. I’m adding that link to my favorites. — E.J.
Ben said:
E.J.
Very cool technology, and great article… Keep up the good work..
Ben said:
Great article, EJ! I’ve seen another ocean technology based on wave-generated energy (as someone else mentioned here). I’m not sure how effective that one was expected to be though. I’ll have to read more, but I’m wondering how the waste water is cooled to the right temperature before returning to the ocean depths, or is it left warm and returned to the surface? How do each of those scernarios play into the long term viability and the effect on those environments. We’ve seen some of the delicate creatures in the deeper portions of the ocean, I’m sure a temperature change of a few degrees over time could affect them.
Zehaas said:
In the closed-loop system, the deep water is used to condense the working fluid for re-use.
The nice thing about ocean water is that it’s self-directing. Water layers itself according to its density, which is determined by its own temperature. So if the cold water is warmed a few degrees, it returns to the depth appropriate for that temperature.
The cold-water snails at the bottom, or at any level couldn’t care less what goes on at another level.
Kane said:
while i am sure you are right about the ecological impact. . . do you really think the environuts/ecophobes care about a silly little thing like umm facts?
Hutchinson30Natasha said:
I propose not to hold off until you earn enough amount of money to buy all you need! You can just get the loans or just consolidation loans and feel free