Renewable Energy From the Deep Ocean

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) process and an ideal location in Puerto rico

25 Responses to “Renewable Energy From the Deep Ocean”

  • alexpoli01 says:

    can i find somwhere the text.
    what he said in english?

  • TJPlocek says:

    We do not have the text available separately but much more information about OTEC is available on our web site offinf.

  • mooktank says:

    Methinks these numbers are quite a bit inflated. These plants are very inefficient and the mass flow rates required through the heat exchangers are huge. It could play its part though if the plants could be built cheaply.

  • TJPlocek says:

    check out our web site. About 1.5 cubic miles per year of cold water and about 2.5 cu miles of warm water is needed but the technical viability has been proven. Only the 35 ft diameter pipe has not been commercially demonstrated in other applications.

  • taibshe says:

    this sounds great. these should be built immediately. the cost should not even be considered. just make the things now and this country has free energy forever.

  • TJPlocek says:

    Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately it has been very difficult to obtain support. Even to obtain an order for the electricity (a Power Purchase Agreement). Once a unit is working, it is likely to provide inexpensive renewable energy outside the control of large firms or Governments.

  • taibshe says:

    its very frustrating- but only because we currently live in a world driven by profit so the oil cartels will obviously oppose efforts like these. as for efficiency, history has shown that technolopgy continually improves and devices like this will become better and better if we just get on with it and develop them.

  • TamakoAkai says:

    Ha, what a joke. You and I know that as long as there are trillions to be made in the oil business this efficient way to generate electricity is going to be just an animation and nothing more. Maybe, Sarah Palin will change that sinse NONE of the who have been in office have done S$#* about it.

  • SuperJoel84 says:

    @TJPlocek
    I am a huge supporter of this idea. I honestly don’t know what kind of support you would need for this project to be done, or which sources PR could use to finance such a plant, but I guess everything would be easier if we reach a Free Association pact with U.S.A, rather than the colonial Commonwealth status we have now.

  • SuperJoel84 says:

    @TJPlocek
    I say this because if we were to become a state, I don’t think it would be good for U.S. to let such a highly oil dependable country do this.

  • TJPlocek says:

    I have been trying to get Puerto Rico to support this for the past 5 years. It now seems likely that it will be developed in Hawaii. A 10 MW Pilot plant is planned by Lockheed Martin for operatin in about 3 years with 100 MW units several years later. The cost will be about twice what we estimated but it is likely to come to pass. Some jobs may come to Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rico will be a customer rather than a leader.

  • mordsith05 says:

    Yay! What an excellent addition to solving the worlds power problems. I love it.

  • StratenaMatoha says:

    Did I heart right? “40 such floating plants can supply whole Porto Rico”
    ?
    If yes, then WOW ! :-)

  • TJPlocek says:

    This is correct. Puerto Rico uses about 4,000 MW of electricity which can be generated by 40 100MW OTEC Units.

  • Unclesamslair says:

    In the economic situation that Puerto Rico is in this seems highly unlikely

  • TJPlocek says:

    You are right, but it also did not happen 4 years ago when we first approached PREPA and in the 1970s when PREPA developed its own 40 MW pilot unit.

  • walter0bz says:

    I can just see it now, we harness energy from the water currents and consequently fuck up the weather systems.. by damaging earths’ natural heat distribution mechanisms..

    however far fetched that sounds, remember humans always multiply until every natural resource is consumed…

  • claudio249347a says:

    Isnt possible to use the heath of the interior of the earth to produce energy?

  • TJPlocek says:

    @walter0bz Your concerns are valid, but most destruction occurs under poverty conditions. Greater prosperity tends to bring more environmental protection and concern for sustainability. Overuse of any resource can lead to disaster. OTEC may moderate hurricanes and global warming.

  • TJPlocek says:

    @claudio249347a This is already being done commercially as geothermal electric generation and home heating. Recent problems have occurred when drilling in unstable areas with creation of earthquakes.

  • Jose2408131985 says:

    The goverment of Puerto Rico is to dumb to think about something like this and is more dumb to take it to action. Fortuño think about it; we will save money on employes, and there be more problems with the aaa employes. I’m puertorican and I live in Puerto Rico just in case.

  • mrflibblesthecat says:

    @claudio249347a

    Yeah that’s geothermal energy. Been around for some time now, and is used all over the world. (although not as much as it should)

  • safupr41 says:

    @Unclesamslair SI, YES, but dont you think that some experimentation is needed to rise up again, this is an experiment and a damn good one too.

    ai que ser positivo y embarcar en lo nuevo.

  • tanya2horses says:

    DHow do you ever come to the conclusion Walter that this type of generation of energy would stuff up the natural heat distribution of the ocean. All it is really is a gigantic float that simply has an internal system just as a human body does. But a human body or large metal one will not change the oceans heat distributions.

  • TJPlocek says:

    @tanya2horses It is theoretically possible to change the ocean currents if the thermal balance is changed. However, the change due to OTEC will be very much less than the changes occurring from natural upwelling. Furthermore, monitoring of the initial thousand or so units will permit modeling that could predict any major changes. Any effects could be reversed by simply shutting down units as they get to the end of their life or sooner if it was required.

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