Harnessing the Energy of the Oceans :: Technology Engineering Papers

Jamie Lee recklesss essay examines the varying sources of electrical muscle that we can draw from the seas. In her well-organized and researched essay, Wise care intacty explains the sources and then discusses both the benefits and drawbacks of each source. In the end, Wises paper argues that public awareness and education concerning the benefits of renewable thrust sources need to be increased, and that the oceans can be a valuable resourece entirely if we take steps to preserve this natural wonder and use it responsibly.Harnessing the aught of the OceansIntroductionThe oceans cover nearly three-quarters of our planet and contain a commodious reserve of resources, yet we are only beginning to tap their full potential. The oceans can provide a wide variety of foods, desalinated water, minerals, electricity, transportation, and recreation for the state of our humanity however, this discussion will be limited to sources of electrical energy that can be harnessed from the seas. The worlds energy intake is before long doubling every 12 years and the consequences of our heavy addiction on fossil fuels are becoming increasingly apparent. Several studies fill estimated that our present reserves of oil and natural gas will be consumed within a hardly a(prenominal) decades, and coal within a few centuries. In addition, political instability in the Middle East has exhibit the economic consequences of oil dependence (Bregman, Knapp, and Takahashi 1996). Environmental and political concerns are unsloped two reasons why alternative energy sources, such as ocean energy conversion, need to be considered. Overview of Ocean Energy Conversion TechnologiesTechnologies that currently exist for generating electrical power from the oceans can be grouped into six broad categories thermic energy, tidal power, wave power, ocean currents, ocean winds, and chemical sources. According to Ron Bregman, an Ocean Resource Engineer, the most promising and well-developed of thes e technologies are thermal energy, tidal power, and wave power (1996).Thermal EnergyThe oceans are the worlds largest solar collectors. Each day the oceans absorb an amount of solar radiation equivalent in heat content to about 250 meg barrels of oil, according to Michael Champ in Sea Technology (1995). This solar energy that is absorbed by the oceans as heat can be converted to electricity by a process known as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or OTEC. This technology is found on the large temperature differential between the warm tropical get up waters and the near freezing waters of the deep ocean (Vega, 1995).