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Be careful with OTEC
November 14, 2009 | 06:18 PM

The world has yet to see an operational OTEC plant and any Mechanical Engineer worth his salt will admit that it's technology fraught with unknowns. More than problems from pathogens, problems from thermal and salinity pollution created by OTEC effluents might represent a greater danger to the ocean ecology. Building an ocean cage, even a big cage, is nothing compared to an OTEC plant to power it. I suggest Bill Spencer reveal his plans and specifications for his OTEC plant before anyone goes so far as to get excited about the fishfarm. Note carefully the cold water pipe diameter and designed flowrate with the calculation of the amount of sealife killed in the process of pumping a river of deep water to the surface 24/7/365. Turbine design is extremely problematic as most OTEC designers are stuck in fossil fuel or nuclear paradigms. Most thermoanalysis of OTEC cycles are very vague on the amount of energy required for removal of dissolved gases. Low temperature Rankine systems are extremely inefficient (4%).
Something seems very bogus about this project. An OTEC plant alone would provide any owner complete access to international waters where permitting is unnecessary. Consequent fishfarm cages or whatever would be impossible to regulate in international waters.

Neil Baker