Ocean of Energy

Other Discussions off topic
1

The energy present in the ocean is so high that a mere 0.2% of the total untapped ocean energy can power the whole of the world! The ocean holds a great deal of mechanical energy in the form of its tides, waves and thermal energy from the sun. Tapping this humongous amount of energy has been the fascination of many eminent scientists and experts of the world. The ocean power technologies are based on the tried and tested principles of hydrodynamics and electrical engineering.

The Ocean water energy is present in the three forms, as said earlier. The tides of the ocean hold a great amount of energy. Imagine the amount of strength that is needed to make the water rise. This strength of the water needs to be captured for its conversion into electricity. The electricity generation from tides is done with the help of turbines. As the tides flow into the blades of the turbine, it makes the generator to turn and generate electricity.

Waves are the other form of ocean energy. The wave energy of the ocean is captured using point absorbers that capture the energy from the surface or from pressure fluctuations below the surface of ocean water.
Ocean’s thermal energy is created when the sun’s heat warms the ocean surface water whereas the water below remains cold. The temperature difference can be used suitable in the generation of electricity using turbines.

2

Sounds good to me, why don’t we use it? The only problem that I can think of is that too many business have interests in what they’ve been doing for the past 50 years. And politics being how they are, we’re being stuck using the old ways for maximum profits which is the only thing they care about, not saving the world. If we found a way to have “free” energy, etc…the technology will “disappear” somehow because they can’t make money off of it like they can now. Pessimistically speaking, it would take the complete destruction of the current ways of doing business and living to force a clean start where we could realistically use this, where we would need to like after some catastrophic event. Unfortunately I think that’s the only way, as long as businesses can keep doing what they’re doing the way they are, everything stays the same with consumption=profits=“good” business.

3

I grew up in the Northwest on hydroelectric power. I wonder how oceanic power sources would compare in terms of infrastructure and maintenance cost? It sounds crazily expensive, but who knows? The guy working on the ink-based solar cells seems to be catalyzing a paradigm shift, so maybe it could happen in this arena as well?