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Oceanic Thermal Energy Converter
A device that uses the sea to help create electricity. (Read the full article)
| " hey man.. thats not possible because it violates the second law of thermodynamics.. :)
alericbench@hotmail.com" (sk8rboi of MSUIIIT 9/23/2004 7:31:49 AM ) |
| "The second law of thermodynamics (or the law of entropy) states that whenever an energy distribution is out of equilibrium with its larger environment, a thermodynamic "force" exists that will dissipate that energy. OTEC doesn't violate the law of entropy. Most OTEC systems just use the temperature difference between warm surface water and deep ocean water; the liquid used to generate power is vaporized (usually by exposure to partial vacuum) to run a turbine, and then run down a pipe to the cold water below, where it is returned to liquid form. It can then be run back through warm water to heat it back up. OTEC systems capitalize on the fact that the small amount of energy exchange (deep ocean water will warm up while cooling the piped liquid) will not heat up the entire ocean basin. Obviously, there are limits to generating power with OTEC. If enough people did it, the deep ocean water would be gradually warmed up, ruining the effect." (Bill Christensen 9/23/2004 2:26:24 PM ) |
| "Jerry Pournelle features OTEC in an offshore facility in a 1970s short story that later became part of his 1977 "High Justice"." (AJWM 3/30/2005 7:20:27 PM ) |
| "Peter F Hamilton mensions it as the power source for listotel in his mindstar books, he also says that it brings up nutrients from the ocean floor and allows a fish farming industry to be supported... not sure how viable that part is." (DarkFlib 5/17/2005 7:05:54 AM ) |
| "Why can't this site have some simple models of energy converts?????????" (Jonh 8/1/2005 10:15:05 PM ) |
| "If you want to know some more about the current state of the art in OTEC and the implementation thereof check out our OTEC news site, www.otecnews.org" (OTECnews editor 4/4/2006 6:34:25 AM ) |
| "It would seem that besides not burning fossil fuel, you would be helping to keep the oceans cool by drawing off the heat, which is good for all life on the planet..." (Nigel 3/3/2008 9:41:40 PM ) |
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