Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy

Patent · Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5661948

Camirand, W M; Hautala, E; Randall, J M

Fresh water and mechanical energy are obtained from melting of icebergs. Warm surface seawater is contacted with a fluid, which is vaporized. The resulting vapor is used to generate mechanical energy and then is condensed by contacting it with cold melt water from the iceberg. The fluid is regenerated with a concomitant elevation in the temperature of the melt water. The warmer melt water is cycled to the body of the iceberg to facilitate its melting and produce additional cold melt water, which is apportioned as fresh water and water cycled to condense the aforesaid vapor. In an alternate embodiment of the invention warm seawater is evaporated at reduced pressure. Mechanical energy is generated from the vapor, which is then condensed by direct and intimate contact with cold melt water from the iceberg. The resultant fresh water is a mixture of condensed vapor and melt water from the iceberg and has a temperature greater than the cold melt water. This fresh water mixture is contacted with the body of the iceberg to further melt it; part of the cold melt water is separated as fresh water and the remainder is cycled for use in condensing the vapor from the warm surface seawater.

• Assignee: Secretary of Agriculture
• Patent Number(s): US 4295333
• OSTI ID: 5661948
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 11 Jul 1979; Other Information: PAT-APPL-056652
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
FRESH WATER
PRODUCTION
ICEBERGS
MELTING
SEAWATER
EVAPORATION
ENERGY CONVERSION
KINETIC ENERGY
STEAM TURBINES
VAPOR CONDENSATION
CONVERSION
ENERGY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ICE
MACHINERY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WATER
290400* - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources