The world has grown at a pace few thought possible creating an insatiable demand for energy prompting the largest investment in research in humanity’s history as we explore alternative sources to power the future. The world is learning and growing while our attention has changed from fulfilling demand as soon as possible to planning for the future and building technologies only conceived in the laboratory promising stability and prosperity. Join me, Elijah Perrin and the Nerds of the Round Table as we visit new sources of energy and engineering, exploring technologies on the forefront of theoretical application moving to become the future we need.
Today we explore OTEC or Oceanic Thermal Energy Conversion, a surprisingly simple technology relying on heat engine technology or the difference in temperature between deep water (1000 meters) and surface water in the Oceans. A heat engine is a device that takes heat energy, in this case, the heat energy in the water close to the surface of the ocean and absorbs the heat energy from the water into a fluid that has a very low boiling point. This fluid is the key to the system and is considered the “working fluid” of the heat engine turning into a gas when exposed to the warm water in a heat exchanging radiator (Red on the left).
The boiling Working fluid then moves into a Turbine Generator to convert the heat energy in form of an expanding gas into Kinetic Energy when the gas slows down as it passes through the turbine effectively transferring energy into the generator. The generator will then produce electricity for public consumption and to power, the working fluid return pump at the bottom of the diagram after the boiling gasses have been condensed into a liquid by the Blue radiator on the right. The Blue Radiator on the right is where the water from the deep ocean cools the working fluid changing it back into a liquid completing the cycle and return to the warm red radiator to be boiled again. This working fluid is in a closed cycle and does not come in direct contact with the water. The working fluid is only in contact with the mechanical parts of the heat engine, the working fluid normally will boil at or around 20 degrees Celsius (68 F) so ideally the surface water will be around 26 C (79 F). The cold deep water around 9 C (48 F) which is a surprisingly large portion of the world’s Oceans as you see below in Red and Orange as we seek locations with temperature differentials of 20 Degrees Celsius or more and 1000 meters depth of Ocean.
The electricity could be transferred to shore by High Voltage Direct Current underwater power lines or converted to other forms of energy like Hydrogen or methane with the Sabatier reaction or other forms of storage. The fact is there is a massive source of energy at our fingertips produced by the sun, this solar power is abundant and stable producing power at all times and all seasons not affected by weather or climates changing. It is the backbone we are looking for and the stability we require from solar energy to this point unattainable on the scale we as a world require it.
Do yourself a favor and investigate this technology, join me in promoting it to the world because as you dig deeper and deeper into this endless rabbit hole of technology you will realize its potential is limitless because there are dozens of different forms and designs of OTEC for many different potentials and outcomes. Here is a small list of possible products this technology and technologies like it using the same energy source could harness from the Oceans.
Electricity, Hydrogen, Methane, Dihydrogen Monoxide, air conditioning, child soil agriculture, aquaculture, mineral extraction, garbage collection and so much more with designs on land or offshore in floating structures. This is a mature emerging technology being adopted around the world and is going to be a piece in the world’s energy production of the future.
Please enjoy this video from our fellow nerds at Makai Ocean Engineering about the development of Oceanic Thermal Energy Conversion.
Written by Elijah Perrin
