Subsea thermoelectric generators. 1- 10-watt peltier effect prototypes - a step towards autonomous electrical control units at subsea wellheads

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Sea Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:7200202

Weid, J.P. von der; Silva, J A.P. da; Gama, A L; Sant'Anna, A C

Offshore oil production activities require the operation of underwater hydraulic or electric equipment. The high cost of acquisition and installation of umbilical cables to supply power is leading to the development of independently powered cableless equipment, connected to the surface by the transmission and reception of control signals through the water. As a first step toward these autonomous wellhead control systems, the authors designed and successfully tested in laboratory conditions a thermoelectric generator able to supply at least 10 watts of electric power, extracting it from the temperature difference between the oil and the surrounding water. Hydraulic pumps and pressure accumulators, control electronics, and valve actuators for wellhead control units are all technically solved problems, even for seafloors as deep as 1,000 meters. However, an autonomous underwater wellhead control unit can only be conceived if an energy source is available at the seafloor. The development of a reliable and compact power source is indeed a fundamental step towards autonomous wet Christmas tree valve actuators.

• OSTI ID: 7200202
• Journal Information: Sea Technology; (United States), Vol. 35:5; ISSN 0093-3651
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
42 ENGINEERING
02 PETROLEUM
ELECTRIC POWER
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
OIL FIELDS
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WELLHEADS
ON-SITE POWER GENERATION
UNDERWATER
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
FIELD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
LEVELS
MINERAL RESOURCES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
POWER
POWER GENERATION
RESOURCES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
300300* - Thermoelectric Generators
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)
020300 - Petroleum- Drilling & Production