Innovator hoping to tap underwater power source

Houston Chronicle ^ | December 12, 2003

[COEXERJ145]

This is the same thing as was done @ the end of season one of SeqQuest DSV. The theory is great, the question is how well does it work in the real world.

[Cicero]

Well, I don't have the expertise to do the numbers, but if you took out enough power to change or weaken the Gulf Stream--which presumably you would have to do in order to get enough power to change the energy picture--the result would be massive changes in weather patterns, far larger than anything caused by so-called global warming. So how is this an environmentally friendly idea?

[Blood of Tyrants]

But the mechanical challenges are immense. Gear would have to endure rust, fouling from marine growth, nasty weather. Any service crews would need deep-sea dive gear. There are huge questions of cost and reliability.

Don't forget transmission of the electricity to shore. Using my newly acquired Professional Engineer's certificate :^D, I concur and declare that the project is not viable with current technology.

[Joe Boucher]

I go out into the Gulfstream oftentimes sport fishing. YOu would be amazed by the strength and flow of the gulfstream. You can be in one place and ten feet away is a river of water moving 6 miles an hour all several miles out in the ocean.
The flow is constant. It is always there. It is always approx. the same speed.
I think the problem though is wear and tear. Everything rots and quickly in salt water.
If you could harness the power of the gulfstream you'd really have something there though.

[Mr. Bird]

My guess is that the total energy in the gulf stream is on a magnitude that would power the earth several times over. A grid powering the Gulf Coast would have minimal impact on the total energy of the stream, and therefore no impact on the immediate environment.

[Onelifetogive]

think of a giant fan with a hole in the center where the hub should be -- deep into the Gulf Stream off the coast of South Florida.

And the best part is.....Free Sushi!!!

[Mr. Bird]

What is the saying about electricity transport? Like carrying sand cross-country in a burlap sack?

[q_an_a]

What is wrong with everyone, on this idea, they have not gotten approval from greenpeas and world wide wildhare foundation.

blades 106 feet underwater, we know that tiny little fish and whales will be endangered by this idea. then we will have kennedy wondering if these will ruin his view from his palm beach sex stop.

[Onelifetogive]

but if you took out enough power to change or weaken the Gulf Stream--which presumably you would have to do in order to get enough power to change the energy picture.

Please don't presume that...

It makes NO sense to presume that. It's like saying extracting solar power would cause Global Cooling. Or wind farms would disrupt wind patterns. It doesn't work that way...

Damming a river "disrupts" it's normal patterns, but you could get all the energy the world needs from the ocean without disrupting it's patterns.

[Consort]

If we can't make better use of the oceans, then we might as well just drain them.

[RightWhale]

He'll cause an Ice Age in Europe with that fooling around.

A plus all-in-all compared to the current Global Warming batch session.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Room temperature superconductors are on the wish list for power companies. If a conductor had zero losses due to the natural resistance of the material, huge transformers and high voltage transmission lines would be a thing of the past.

[Geritol]

actually, with the north pole ice melting away for the last 20 years, if it all melts the gulf stream might go away. Otherwise, I do not think it is possible to stop it.

[Dog Gone]

One rap about windmills is that they chop up birds.

These will only chop up fish and submarines.

[Dog Gone]

Underwater windmill ping for you.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[e_engineer]

The gulf stream is only a few miles offshore in Florida.

Several companies make suitable cable to bring the power back to shore. Here is some info I stole from www.kerite.com:

POWER CABLE
138kV SHIELDED (SPS) 90°C RATING
CONDUCTOR - Class B Copper Strand (Aluminum Conductors Available)
CONDUCTOR SHIELD - Unique Permashield® System
INSULATION - Exclusive Corona-Immune EPR Insulation
INSULATION SHIELD - Thermosetting Semiconduction Layer
METALLIC SHIELD - 5mil Copper Tape, 20% Overlap
JACKET - PVC (PE Available)

138kV SINGLE CONDUCTOR

				CATALOG NUMBER SUFFIX
				14400
				850 Mils Insulation
CATALOG	Size	No.	O.D. Over	Jacket		Cable
NO.	(AWG/	of	Insul.	Thickness	O.D.	Weight
PREFIX	kcmil)	Str.	(Inches)	(Mils)	(Inches)	(Lbs./Kft)
150C98-	500	37	2.58	140	3.03	5.42
175C98-	750	61	2.77	140	3.22	6.58
190C98-	1000	61	2.92	140	3.37	7.65
192C98-	1250	91	3.08	140	3.53	8.74
195C98-	1500	91	3.20	140	3.65	9.75
197C98-	1750	127	3.31	140	3.76	10.75
199C98-	2000	127	3.42	140	3.86	11.72
Metallic shielding may be customized to meet system requirements.

THIRTY MINUTE AC FINAL TEST VOLTAGE

AC (kV)

130

CATALOG NUMBER EXAMPLE:

150C98-14400 = 500 kcmil (37) CU, 115kV, SPS 850 mil, Insulation, Extruded Semicon, 5 mil CU Tape, 110 mil PVC Jacket.

[Dog Gone]

What's the purpose of the copper tape?

[Willie Green]

Underwater windmill ping for you.

Mmmmmmm... manatee 'burgers.... yummy!

Windmills Take Toll on Wildlife