There are different cycle types of OTEC
systems, but the prototype plant is likely to be a closed-cycle system.
technology is regarded as one of the most effective methods for utilizing the ocean's thermal energy, and it is most suitable in tropical and sub-tropical regions, where the temperature differences between deep seawater and surface seawater is the greatest.
A video explanation of OTEC
potential can be found at "Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.
The way Vega envisions our energy future, the first generation of OTEC
"plant-ships" would be stationed offshore and send electricity via subsurface power cables to shore stations.
Lockheed Martin in 2008 won a grant from the Energy Department to develop and demonstrate the tooling necessary to build a large cold water pipe to suck up ocean water from depths of several thousand feet below the surface, says Dennis Cooper, OTEC
business manager for Lockheed Martin.
L'objectif consiste a installer des usines OTEC
munies de cables sous-marins qui transporteront l'electricite vers le reseau sur la terre ferme.
processes, paying special attention to the OTEC
Act as an example of
Now, with a few plants in various stages of planning OTEC
may finally get a shot at competing with other sources of clean energy (such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal) to show whether it can match up, or even beat them.
Although the ideal latitude band is well away from much of the industrialized world, we can take advantage of OTEC
by creating a product other than electricity.
The fabrication and installation of large diameter cold water piping -- required to reach depths of thousands of feet -- represents one of the largest technical challenges to the successful installation and operation of an offshore OTEC
uses differences in temperature between surface water and water at a depth of up to 1,000 meters to vaporize ammonia and drive a turbine.
uses the temperature difference between deep and shallow waters to desalinate warm surface water, which evaporates and then is cooled for desalination.