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US 5,513,494 AGranted
Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system
AssigneeOTEC Developments
InventorsRobert J. Flynn, George J. Cicchetti, Jonathan d'E. Coony, Lloyd A. Bush
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system, including an energy generation sub-system for receiving warm sea water, evaporating a working fluid at a natural depth of the received warm sea water to produce a working vapor, and generating energy from the working vapor and a pumping sub-system for pushing cold sea water up to a natural depth of the received warm sea water and condensing the working vapor with the cold sea water.
Claims4
A hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC system, comprising:
- energy generation means including
- evaporating means, located below a wave action of an ocean for receiving warm sea water from the ocean, evaporating a working fluid at a natural depth of the received warm sea water from the ocean to produce a working vapor,
- turbine means, located above a surface of the ocean, for generating energy from the working vapor,
- condensing means, located below the wave action of the ocean, for condensing the working vapor with only cold sea water from the ocean to recycle the working fluid;
- and
- pushing means, including a pump, for pushing the only cold sea water from the ocean up to said condensing means;
- said pump being located at a natural depth of the only cold sea water from the ocean.
4 more elements
A hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system, comprising:
- energy generation means for receiving warm sea water, evaporating a working fluid with the received warm sea water to produce a working vapor, and generating energy from the working vapor;
- water hydrolysis means, driven by the energy generated by said energy generation means, for hydrolyzing a source of water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas;
- hydrogen combustion means for receiving the hydrogen gas and for producing electricity;
- and
- coal gasification means for receiving the oxygen gas and for gasifying coal to produce methane.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.