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Ocean Current Technology. SCM 330 Ocean Discovery through Technology Dana Brandlin. Ocean Currents:. Steady flow of seawater in a prevailing direction Two types of currents. . .
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Ocean Current Technology SCM 330 Ocean Discovery through Technology Dana Brandlin
Ocean Currents: • Steady flow of seawater in a prevailing direction • Two types of currents. . . • 1. surface: wind driven and develop their clockwise spirals in the northern hemisphere counter-clockwise rotation in the southern hemisphere due to imposed wind stress. • 2. deep water: driven by density and temp. gradients throughout sea.
Elements that contribute to ocean current flow patterns • Salinity • Wind • Temperature • Bottom topography • Earth’s rotation
So why do we care about ocean currents? • The circulation water provides reservoirs of untapped energy that have the capability to supply power to our planet!
Technologies used to trap this “energy” and convert it into usable forms . . . • 1. Water turbines: they have a generator that converts the rotational into electricity and then transports the electrical current to shore. Once on shore, the electrical current is incorporated into an electrical grid and further utilized.
** the most effective places to install turbines are in open ocean areas with fast currents. Groups of turbines are set up to create a current “farm”, this concentrates the amount of kinetic energy being generated.
Challenges that arise with turbines used to harness energy . . . • Species protection, including fish and marine mammals from injury due to the turning turbine blades. • Adequate spacing between turbines to prevent collision of blades.
Various Types of Turbines: • There are multiple kinds of turbines that use different mechanisms to generate energy . . . Ventrui system Ing Arvid Neshein Vortex Hydro-Energy-Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy (VIVACE)
1. Venturi System: The patented Venturi containment system increases turbine efficiency 3.85 times what the turbine would produce without the system.
2. Ing Arvid Neshein: incorporates a multi energy device. It captures kinetic energy in waves, ocean currents, rivers, and streams and converts the energy into electricity. The device is also equipped with a heat pump to convert thermal energy in the ocean into useful energy.
3.Vortex Hydro-Energy-Vortex Induced Vibrations Aquatic Clean Energy(VIVACE):extracts energy from the ocean, rivers, tidal, and other water currents over a wide range of current speeds. It is non-obtrusive, environmentally friendly, and has an extremely high energy density.
Research is taking place in the field of ocean current and their ability to provide energy • An interesting and remarkable finding . . . “Water is approximately 385 times denser than wind, so for the same area of flow being intercepted the energy contained in a 12 mph water flow is equivalent to that contained in an air mass moving at about 110 mph. Thus ocean currents represent a potentially significant, currently untapped, reservoir of energy.”
With further technological advances in turbine efficiency and an increase in research we can hopefully someday be able to fully make use of our environments rich natural assets!