Essay on Thermal Energy Conversion - 1515 Words

The demand for an efficient renewable energy source is a driving force in ongoing research. Thermal energy conversion is one such potential source that is under constant investigation and has endless avenues of possibility. The two requirements of energy production are efficiency and renewability. Many possibilities exist for energy production including: Fossil Fuels (natural gas, oil, coal, oilshale), nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and wastes, hydroelectric. Efficiency of the use of these resource are directly related to the location and the demand in that location. For example Hawaii is a prime candidate for the use of the oceans mechanical wave action, the thermal gradient of the ocean, wind, and biomass from the high†¦show more content†¦There are three types of energy converters producing electricity: closed cycle, open cycle, and a hybrid system combining the previous two systems. Closed cycle OTEC systems use the warm surface water to boil a fluid that ha s a low boiling point (e.g. ammonia). The pressure caused by the expanding vapor is then used to turn a turbine. The turbine then turns a generator to produce electricity. Cold water is then used to recycle the vapor back to a condensed state and the cycle is repeated. An open cycle system directly boils the warm surface water. Operating at low pressure, the steam that is created is channeled in turn to a turbine engine. The water vapor is condensed again by cold water. If the condensed water is kept seperate from the cold seawater it can be used for consumption or agriculture. Other by-products produced by the open cycle OTEC are a variety of minerals. Both cycles produce electricity through the use of solar warmed water. Steam Powered Turbine Engine Capturing the power of steam is not a new idea but one that has been used for hundreds of years. A jet of steam can readily do work on an object by the jet propolsion effect of steam escaping through a small guided hole or by a stream colliding with a system of paddle wheels. Most early steam powered machines used the principles of the latter. The system of paddles, or turbine, was used to drive a shaft which in turn could drive any number of gear or belt driven mechanisms. TheShow MoreRelatedEssay on Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion689 Words   |  3 PagesOcean Thermal Energy Conversion Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) utilizes the natural temperature difference in tropical regions to generate electricity. The idea of using the ocean to generate electricity was proposed by a French physicist by the name of Jacques Arsene dArsonval in 1881. Georges Cluade who was one of dArsonval students, built the first OTEC power plant in Cuba. Cluade also built a second power plant in 1935 on a 10,000 ton cargo ship which was moored off the coast of BrazilRead MoreOcean Thermal Energy Conversion ( Otec )5190 Words   |  21 PagesOcean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is an energy innovation that changes over sun based radiation to electric energy. OTEC system utilizes the sea s regular warm angle the way that the sea s layers of water have diverse temperatures to drive a force creating cycle.Exploratory and legitimate studies have been carried out to center the qualities of the temperature andwater and the cool profound water varies by around 20 °C (36 °F) [1], an OT EC cycle can create a lot of force, with little effectRead MoreOcean Thermal Energy Conversion Is An Energy Technology1423 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion is an energy technology that converts solar radiation to electric power. OTEC systems use the ocean’s natural thermal gradient to produce power and fresh water. The OTEC process consist of pumping cold ocean water to the surface and using the temperature difference between this and the warm surface water to run a thermal engine to generate electricity. However, if you drop the energy production a bit fresh drinking water can be produced This can be very significantRead MoreThe Worlds Largest Solar Collectors And Energy Storage System1933 Words   |  8 Pageskind of energy source in our world and the ocean is a big part of one of thought energy source. The ocean makes up more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and it collects a lot of sun’s heat and energy. This will make it the â€Å"world’s largest solar collectors and energy storage system† and the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) will probably seems like a gre at tool to have [7]. This energy source works is by using the solar energy collected from the sun by the ocean and converting that energy into electricRead MoreEssay on Energy Resource: Tar Sands and Nuclear Energy1016 Words   |  5 Pagesother energy sources. The value of coal is higher due to the ability to get it easier and the fact that it produces gasoline, which is used for powering lots of things we use everyday. Although its been said that we may only use oil for 10 to 15 more years before we hit our peak, If it is conserved it can be used for many more. Even though I believe it isn’t going to be conserved and never will be, it is a possibility. (Oil Shale and Tar Sands Program, 2012) Part 2 Nuclear energy is the energy thatRead MoreEssay about The Rising Cost of Fossil Fuels1576 Words   |  7 Pageshave been our primary means of producing energy for the past 200 years. America total energy usage is relied to heavily on one source. In all of our endeavors of creating a society that facilitate any and all needs of its people, America is now facing a problem that will one day prove to hurt its citizens and future energy generation capabilities Cohen (2009). The problem is that the nation’s leaders have placed the source for the generation of these energies into fossil fuels. Fossil Fuels consistRead MoreTrends Of Energy Harvesting : Introduction1468 Words   |  6 PagesTrends of Energy Harvesting Introduction Wireless sensor network Wireless sensor networks are the networks that gather information such as environmental information, which there are numbers of applications of WSN such as healthcare, building monitoring, forest fire, smart home etc. WSN is capable of sensing, processing and communicating independently. However, as most of the sensor nodes are powered by non-rechargeable battery, the limitation of energy supply has considerably reduced the lifetimeRead More Solar Energy Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesSolar Energy What do the bubonic plague in the 14th century, the influenza epidemic of the early 20th century and the spread of HIV/AIDS in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have in common? One answer, according to Joel B. Stronberg author of the American Solar Energy Society’s â€Å"Common Sense,† is that they have all been called pandemics. According to Merriam-Webster.com, a pandemic occurs over a wide geographic distribution and affects â€Å"an exceptionally high proportion of the population.†Read MoreSolar Power Of Solar Energy Essay2018 Words   |  9 Pagesrest on bold initiatives of use of renewable source of energy. Solar technology is evolving, costs are coming down and grid connectivity is improving. The dream of universal access to clean energy is becoming more real. This will be the foundation of the new economy of the new century. Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heatin g, photovoltaic, solar thermal energy, solar architecture and artificial photosynthesis. SolarRead MoreSustainable Development And Energy Development : The G8 Summit Declaration Of 7 August 20071372 Words   |  6 PagesThe ongoing demand and patterns of industrial energy production and consumption are highly unsustainable which may lead to face multiple challenges like global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, geopolitical conflicts, consecutive fuel price rises and at last fossil fuel reserves depletion. Worldwide all the developing countries are working to make a vibrant industrial sector where entrepreneurs will make investments and thus opportunities will be created for new jobs. To achieve sustainable development