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
Link To Document :
بازگشت