Re: Heat engines in practice

From: Joseph.D.Warner (jwarner_at_grc.nasa.gov)
Date: 08/24/04 

Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 09:55:12 +0000 (UTC)

Y. T. wrote:
> Not entirely sure if this should go here or somewhere into
> sci.engr.something but it strikes me as a research thing, so I'll send
> it here.
>
> What with the current global situation with regards to energy, it
> appears to me that venues of generating usable forms of energy that
> are currently deemed inefficient will come more to the forefront of
> the human collective thinking.
>
> In that context I was wondering what the smallest temperature
> difference is across which anybody has ever actually managed to run a
> heat engine process in a sustained way. I understand that carnot
> efficiency goes to heck as the two heat baths approach each other in
> temperature, but that is only a matter of having enough energy at hand
> to begin with.

Check on Solar Sea Power. It generates energy through the difference in
the temperature of the surface water and deep ocean water. I believe,
Dr. Zener was the original proposer of the idea and advocate in the late
1970s. As I remember DOE built a demonstration plant off the coast of
Hawaii. Beyond that I don't know its fate.

This plant would use the surface water to boil ammonia and would pump
the deep water up to cool the ammonia and turn it back into liquid to
complete the cycle. Of course the "hot" ammonia fumes turned the blades
of a turbine.

A side benefit from this plant was that nutrients from the bottom of the
ocean was brought to the surface and was thought to be able to increase
the number of fish around the facility.

I hope that help. I am sure a search on Solar Sea Power and Dr. Zener
will give you the information you seek.

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