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Title: Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy

Abstract

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 warmmore » surface seawater.« less

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

Citation Formats

Camirand, W M, Hautala, E, and Randall, J M. Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy. United States: N. p., 1981. Web.
Camirand, W M, Hautala, E, & Randall, J M. Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy. United States.
Camirand, W M, Hautala, E, and Randall, J M. 1981. "Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy". United States.
@article{osti_5661948,
title = {Melting icebergs to produce fresh water and mechanical energy},
author = {Camirand, W M and Hautala, E and Randall, J M},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5661948}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 1981},
month = {Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 1981}
}