EES 0836 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
3 Apr 2016
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For each, i"ll put the approximate value of qbtu available annually. Compare to our consumption of 100 qbtu per year: renewables list, solar (photovoltaic, solar thermal) Get 100 qbtu/yr with < 2% coverage of u. s. land area: wind, biomass. Maybe 180 qbtu/yr worldwide, maybe 25 qbtu in u. s. But some estimates are far less optimistic. If we divert 10% of the 40 tw global budget into energy, would net 4 tw, or 120 qbtu worldwide; maybe 7 qbtu in u. s. , given about 6% of land area: hydroelectric. 70 qbtu/yr feasible worldwide: twice current development. 5 qbtu/yr max potential in u. s: renewables, continued, geothermal: run heat engines off earth"s internal heat. Could be as much as 1. 5 qbtu/yr worldwide in 50 years. Limited to a few rare sites: tidal: oscillating hydroelectric dams . A few rare sites are conducive to this (bay of fundy, for example) Up to 1 qbtu/yr practical worldwide: ocean thermal energy conversion (otec)
