• DocumentCode
    3310435
  • Title

    Hydro power from the ocean

  • Author

    Jensen, Robert K.

  • fYear
    1988
  • fDate
    31 Oct-2 Nov 1988
  • Firstpage
    1039
  • Abstract
    A patented hydro-well invention is described that falls into the classification of an open-cycle ocean thermo energy conversion device. The apparatus drops warm salt water entrained with air down a penstock to drive a hydroelectric turbine generator. The salt water is cooled by the ocean sump and becomes heavier than the ambient water. The air is compressed hydraulically and separated to create a second work force. The forces, together with salinity, work to exhaust the water. The invention consumes no fossil fuel, does not pollute, and has the potential to furnish most of the world´s electric needs without subjecting people to radiation. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has estimated that a mechanism of 2 MWe can be built at a cost of $7200/kWe. Using the same cost basis, a 2-MWe hydro well could be built for $1345/kWe because it is only 1/3 as deep and handles 1/8 the amount of water of conventional OTEC devices
  • Keywords
    economics; hydraulic turbines; hydroelectric generators; ocean thermal energy conversion; seawater; turbogenerators; OTEC; cost; hydro-well; hydroelectric turbine generator; ocean sump; open-cycle ocean thermo energy conversion device; penstock; salinity; warm salt water; Costs; Energy conversion; Fossil fuels; Generators; Gravity; Hydraulic turbines; Hydroelectric power generation; Marine pollution; Ocean temperature; Oceans; Power generation; Sea surface; US Department of Energy; Water heating; Water pollution;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • Conference_Titel
    OCEANS '88. A Partnership of Marine Interests. Proceedings
  • Conference_Location
    Baltimore, MD
  • Type

    conf

  • DOI
    10.1109/OCEANS.1988.23658
  • Filename
    23658