Hawaiian oceans could provide steady renewable energy: Study
August 4th, 2010 - 1:29 pm ICT by ANIWashington, August 4 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa say that seawater from the Hawaiian Islands may be ideal for future ocean-based renewable energy plants.
The technology is referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).
It involves placing a heat engine between warm water collected at the ocean’s surface and cold water pumped from the deep ocean.
The heat flows from the warm reservoir to the cool one, and the greater the temperature difference, the stronger the flow of heat. This can be used to do useful work such as spinning a turbine and generating electricity.
Although expensive, if the ocean temperature differentials are great, it could work out to be very cheap.
University of Hawaii’s Gerard Nihous says that the warm-cold temperature differential is about one degree Celsius greater on the leeward (western) side of the Hawaiian Islands than that on the windward (eastern) side.
This small difference translates to 15 percent more power for an OTEC plant, says Nihous.
The research is published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. (ANI)
- Arctic Ocean water is 'warmest it's been for more than 2,000 years' - Feb 01, 2011
- Study shows weakened trade winds in Tropical Atlantic - Feb 07, 2011
- Arctic bacteria may have the longest life cycle on Earth - Sep 21, 2010
- Rivers could provide energy for half billion people - Apr 19, 2012
- Study shows utility of floating wind turbines - Jun 30, 2010
- Beijing water shortage: residents to get desalinised seawater - Mar 02, 2012
- Earth's 'missing' heat impacting climate change - Apr 16, 2010
- Hawaiian hot spot's deep roots uncovered by scientists - Dec 05, 2009
- Spiritual guru favours carbon tax - Dec 22, 2011
- How heat is transported to Greenland glaciers - Mar 29, 2011
- Warming ocean layers melt polar ice sheets faster - Jul 04, 2011
- Clouds could make global warming worse - Nov 30, 2010
- New technology could turn ground heat into cheap alternative to fossil fuels - Jun 12, 2010
- Melting glaciers on Arctic islands play major role in rise of sea level - Apr 21, 2011
- China says faces no immediate threat from Japan nuke plant's radioactive leaks - Mar 22, 2011
Tags: cold temperature, cool one, deep ocean, degree celsius, energy study, generating electricity, hawaiian islands, heat engine, ocean temperature, ocean thermal energy, ocean thermal energy conversion, otec plant, renewable energy plants, seawater, sustainable energy, temperature difference, temperature differentials, thermal energy conversion, university of hawaii, warm water