Ocean Energies (eBook)

Environmental, Economic and Technological Aspects of Alternative Power Sources

R.H. Charlier, J.R. Justus (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

1993 | 1. Auflage
533 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-0-08-087094-6 (ISBN)

Infos

This timely volume provides a comprehensive review of current technology for all ocean energies. It opens with an analysis of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), with and without the use of an intermediate fluid. The historical and economic background is reviewed, and the geographical areas in which this energy could be utilized are pinpointed. The production of hydrogen as a side product, and environmental consequences of OTEC plants are looked at. The competitiveness of OTEC with conventional sources of energy is analysed. Optimisation, current research and development potential are also examined.

Separate chapters provide a detailed examination of other ocean energy sources. The possible harnessing of solar ponds, ocean currents, and power derived from salinity differences is considered. There is a fascinating study of marine winds, and the question of using the ocean tides as a source of energy is examined, focussing on a number of tidal power plant projects, including data gathered from China, Australia, Great Britain, Korea and the USSR.

Wave energy extraction has excited recent interest and activity, with a number of experimental pilot plants being built in northern Europe. This topic is discussed at length in view of its greater chance of implementation. Finally, geothermal and biomass energy are considered, and an assessment of their future is given.

Each chapter contains bibliographic references. The author has also distinguished between energy schemes which might be valuable in less-industrialized regions of the world, but uneconomical in the developed countries. A large number of illustrations support the text.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the book is readable and accessible for the specialist as well as the non-expert. It will be of particular interest to energy economists, engineers, geologists and oceanographers, and to environmentalists and environmental engineers.

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
Ocean Energies Environmental, Economic and Technological Aspects of Alternative Power Sources 2
Copyright Page 5
Contents 14
Preface 8
Acknowledgements 12
CHAPTER 1. STATE OF THE ART 22
Introduction 22
Tidal energy 22
Wave energy 24
Thermal energy 26
Wind energy 33
Current energy 34
Biomass energy 37
Salinity energy 38
Geothermal energy 39
Summary 40
CHAPTER 2. OFFSHORE WIND POWER STATIONS 42
Introduction 42
Historical background 45
The resource 47
Sites 51
Wind power 51
Turbine selection 54
Types of turbines 57
Harnessing offshore winds 61
Windpower and economics 70
Wind farm 72
Implementation and environment impact 72
Present U.S. WECS program 73
Other uses of wind energy 79
Conclusions 81
CHAPTER 3. OCEAN CURRENT ENERGY CONVERSION 84
The resource potential 84
Technological development 86
Some proposed schemes for extracting energy from the Florida current 90
Other proposed schemes for harnessing the energy in ocean currents 97
Environmental considerations 106
Costs and developments 109
CHAPTER 4. SOLAR PONDS 116
Introduction 116
Electricity production 116
Background 118
The solar pond 118
Resource 120
Technology 120
Commercial plant 123
Costs and development 123
CHAPTER 5. WAVES 126
Energy from the ocean 126
Ocean waves 127
The potential use of wave energy 128
Wind waves 132
Historical development 140
Wind waves power harnessing 143
Transmission to shore 174
Economics of converters 175
Technological problems 179
Environmental impact 184
Prospects for wave power 185
Pumps 203
Conclusions 205
CHAPTER 6. CURRENT ASSESSMENT OF OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY POTENTIAL 208
Ocean thermal energy conversion 208
Resource potential 208
Regions of potential OTEC utilization 210
Historical overview of the technology and basic technological concept 211
Summary of OTEC research and development activities 220
Recent design concepts 228
Technology research and development 246
Environmental research and considerations 275
Cost factors and economic consideration 281
International legal/political considerations 290
OTEC industry benefits 291
CHAPTER 7. IS TIDAL POWER COMING OF AGE? 294
Historical background 294
Tidal power in America 295
Tidal phenomenon 301
The resource 303
Tidal current power 310
The tidal power plant 311
The Rance River plant 317
Environmental considerations 325
The Soviet experimental station 326
Tidal power in Suriname 328
Tidal power in the Bay of Fundy 328
Updating of the Bay of Fundy project 330
Estimates of project cost 330
Financial feasibility 331
Value of tidal energy 335
Projects around the world 344
Advantages, disadvantages, and economics of tidal power 346
The future 347
Tidal power twenty years later 348
Conclusion 367
CHAPTER 8. SALINITY ENERGY 368
Salinity 368
Magnitude of the resources 370
Energy extraction 373
Technical problems 389
Environmental effects 391
Energy from geothermal brines 392
Energy from salt domes 393
Energy from salt pans 394
Current funding and problems for research 394
Costing – electrodialysis plant 398
A look into the future 398
CHAPTER 9. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY 402
Geothermal energy 402
Background 402
Resource 405
Technology 411
Exploration 411
Geochemical characteristics and exploration 412
Drilling 413
Dry-steam deposits 413
Power from wet-steam (hot-water) deposits 414
The total-flow concept 416
The binary cycle 420
Power from geopressurized deposits 420
Othcr U.S. sites 421
Power from hot tight rocks (hot dry rocks) 421
Power from magma systems 423
Environmental impact 423
Costing 426
Conclusions 426
CHAPTER 10. MARINE BIOMASS ENERGY 428
The resource 429
Plant description 430
Seaweeds 430
Macrocystis pyrifera 432
Marine farms 433
Production and productivity 433
Farm design 435
Substrates and supports 436
Artificial upwelling 440
Harvesting seaweed 441
Test farms 443
Future prospects 443
Electricity from marine biomass 446
Methane generation 448
Glossary 454
References and notes 472
Bibliography 494
lndex 546

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 17.9.1993
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geophysik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Hydrologie / Ozeanografie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Bauwesen
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Maschinenbau
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Volkswirtschaftslehre ► Makroökonomie
• ISBN-10: 0-08-087094-5 / 0080870945
• ISBN-13: 978-0-08-087094-6 / 9780080870946