Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) - Taking Advantage of Hot Ocean Water

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was conceived of by the French engineer Jacques D'Arsonval in 1881. Basically, OTEC utilizes the temperature difference that exists between deep and shallow ocean waters. At the time of this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii is home to the only operating experimental OTEC plant on the face of the earth.

OTEC is a potential alternative energy source that needs to be funded and explored much more than it presently is. The greatest hurdle OTEC implementation on a wide and practically useful level is the cost. It is difficult to get the costs down to a reasonable level because of the processes presently utilized to drive OTEC. Ocean thermal energy would be very clean burning and thus not add pollutants into the air - cost benefits that are hard to quantify. Additionally, at present, OTEC plants using current technologies, have the potential for disrupting and perhaps damaging the local environment - a cost burden.

There are three kinds of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).

• “Closed Cycle OTEC” uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant pumps warm sea water into a reaction chamber. The heat from the warm sea water boils the intermediate fluid, turning it into a vapor. The intermediate fluid's vapor (now an expanded propane gas) pushes the blades of an turbine, generating electricity. The vapor is then cooled down by pouring in cold sea water. And the intermediate fluid is ready to be boiled again.
  
  
• “Open Cycle OTEC” is not that much different from closed cycling, except in the Open Cycle there is no intermediate fluid! Warm sea water itself is the driver of the turbine engine in this OTEC format. Sea water found on the surface of the ocean is constantly heated by the sun and with just a bit of human ingenuity this already warm water is turned into a low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released through a focusing mechanism and the stream ofovapor, like the wind, has the power to drive a turbine. Once the vapor has generated sufficient electricity, cold waters from deeper in the ocean are pumped in, to surround pipes filled with the water vapor, cooling down the vapor and creating desalinated water for human consumption.
  
  
• “Hybrid Cycle OTEC” is really just a theory for the time being. It seeks to describe the way that we could make maximum usage of the thermal energy of the ocean's waters. There are actually two compenents to the theory of Hybrid Cycling. The first part involves using a closed cycling to generate electricity. This electricity is, in turn, used to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling. The second component is the integration of two open cyclings such that twice the amount of desalinated, potable water is created than with just one open cycle.
  
  There is a way to maximize the energy available in the sun's heating of the ocean waters, scientist and angineers are working hard to integrate the two current technologies to form a vastly more efficient OTEC plant.

The Synergy of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Plants. In addition to being used to create energy, a closed cycle OTEC plant can be utilized for treating chemicals. Additionally, OTEC plants, both open cycling and close cycling kinds, can if engineered wisely, pump up cold sea water from the deeps, which can be used for refrigeration and air conditioning. Furthermore, during the moderation period when the sea water is surrounding the plant, the enclosed area can be used for mariculture and aquaculture projects such as fish farming - seaweeds, mussels, oysters, shrimps, prawns, salmon and other species of fish.

There is clearly quite an array of products and services that we could derive from the alternative energy source of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Renewable clean energy, refrigeration and food - all created in a local environment for a global need. Good paying jobs and sustainable energy from ocean water in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the planet - the world can be a better place!

About the Author

Scott Harker is the publisher of several websites including: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, On The Hook | Fishing Guide, Great Food | Great Recipes, Dieting Help | Move More - Eat Less, To The Stars | Astronomy, and Drive The Future | Hybrid Cars.

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