| Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) was | | | | surface of the ocean is turned into a |
| conceived of by the French engineer Jacques | | | | low-pressure vapor under the constraint of a |
| D'Arsonval in 1881. However, at the time of | | | | vacuum. The low-pressure vapor is released in |
| this writing the Natural Energy Laboratory of | | | | a focused area and it has the power to drive |
| Hawaii is home to the only operating | | | | the turbine. To cool down the vapor and |
| experimental OTEC plant on the face of the | | | | create desalinated water for human |
| earth. OTEC is a potential alternative energy | | | | consumption, the deeper ocean's cold waters |
| source that needs to be funded and explored | | | | are added to the vapor after it has generated |
| much more than it presently is. | | | | sufficient electricity. |
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| The great hurdle to get over with OTEC | | | | Hybrid Cycle OTEC is really just a theory for |
| implementation on a wide and practically | | | | the time being. It seeks to describe the way |
| useful level is cost. It is difficult to get | | | | that we could make maximum usage of the |
| the costs down to a reasonable level because | | | | thermal energy of the ocean's waters. There |
| of the processes presently utilized to drive | | | | are actually two sub-theories to the theory |
| OTEC. Ocean thermal energy would be very | | | | of Hybrid Cycling. The first involves using a |
| clean burning and not add pollutants into the | | | | closed cycling to generate electricity. This |
| air. However, as it presently would need to | | | | electricity is in turn used to create the |
| be set up with our current technologies, OTEC | | | | vacuum environment needed for open cycling. |
| plants would have the capacity for disrupting | | | | The second component is the integration of |
| and perhaps damaging the local environment. | | | | two open cyclings such that twice the amount |
| | | | of desalinated, potable water is created than |
| There are three kinds of OTEC. | | | | with just one open cycle. |
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| Closed Cycle OTEC uses a low-boiling point | | | | In addition to being used for producing |
| liquid such as, for example, propane to act | | | | electricity, a closed cycle OTEC plant can be |
| as an intermediate fluid. The OTEC plant | | | | utilized for treating chemicals. OTEC plants, |
| pumps the warm sea water into the reaction | | | | both open cycling and close cycling kinds, |
| chamber and boils the intermediate fluid. | | | | are also able to be utilized for pumping up |
| This results in the intermediate fluid's | | | | cold deep sea water which can then be used |
| vapor pushing the turbine of the engine, | | | | for refrigeration and air conditioning. |
| which thus generates electricity. The vapor | | | | |
| is then cooled down by putting in cold sea | | | | Furthermore, during the moderation period |
| water. | | | | when the sea water is surrounding the plant, |
| | | | the enclosed are can be used for mariculture |
| Open Cycle OTEC is not that different from | | | | and aquaculture projects such as fish |
| closed cycling, except in the Open Cycle | | | | farming. There is clearly quite an array of |
| there is no intermediate fluid. The sea water | | | | products and services that we could derive |
| itself is the driver of the turbine engine in | | | | from this alternative energy source. |
| this OTEC format. Warm sea water found on the | | | | |