Ocean energy program summary
The oceans are the world's largest solar energy collector and storage system. Covering 71% of the earth's surface, they collect and store this energy as waves, currents, and thermal and salinity gradients. The purpose of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Ocean Energy Technology (OET) Program is to develop techniques that harness this ocean energy cost-effectively and in a way that does not harm the environment. The program seeks to develop ocean energy technology to a point where industry can accurately assess whether the technology is a viable energy conversion alternative, or supplement, to current power-generating systems. In past studies, DOE identified ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), which uses the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water, as the most promising of the ocean energy technologies. As a result, the OET Program is concentrating on research that advances the OTEC technology. The program also continues to monitor and study developments in wave energy, ocean current, and salinity gradient concepts; but it is not actively developing these technologies now. 13 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/CE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-83CH10093
- OSTI ID:
- 7229333
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/CH/10093-66; ON: DE89009481
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPRESSION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DESIGN
DOCUMENTATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EVAPORATION
FABRICATION
HEAT TRANSFER
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS TESTING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER GENERATION
PRESSURE EFFECTS
PROGRESS REPORT
PUMPS
SEAWATER
STEAM
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THERMODYNAMICS
TURBINES
VERIFICATION
CONVERSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MACHINERY
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
TESTING
TURBOMACHINERY
WATER
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems
296000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Electric Power