Energy From the Gulf Stream

Georgia Tech ^ | 05-12-05 | Michael Hoover

[Tunehead54]

Reference bump - there was another recent thread - regarding a particularly efficient turbine - with the Gulf Stream in mind as well .., maybe more later ... past time for dinner!

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Gorlov's Helical Turbine

[Sarastro]

Your speculation on downstream climate effects is not informed by the math. It would take sapping hundreds of gigawatts of power to even begin to make a climate effect. In any event, Iceland and the British Isles don't vote in USA elections.

Each usable kwh delivered to Florida would reduce energy content of gulf stream by (1kwh)/(efficiency rate of conversion), say, 2kwh. If the effect downstream is immaterial, then the energy produced upstream is immaterial too. If we harvest a material amount of energy upstream, the downstream effects will be material too.

Concerning Iceland and British Isles not voting here, I had completely failed to take that into account. Now that you point it out, I propose that we bail up all of our garbage and barge it over there for disposal as well as deplete the gulf stream.

[mission9]

You are correct, if we sap gigawatts off of the GS, it is immaterial to the total energy contained by the GS. On human terms, as far as turning on your Air Conditioner, or reducing the amount of oil this nation buys from foriegn sources, the amount is significant.

[mission9]

So you are telling me that your old house and your new one was 200 feet below the surface of the Gulf Stream?

[satchmodog9]

Just want to know what will happen to any cables or shoreline stations during the big wind. You seem to attack anyone who questions this project. I am not criticizing it, I just wonder how hurricane proof it is. Hurricanes do effect water below the surface so don't dismiss it out of hand. I have some huge boulders ripped from the ocean floor on my property. I don't know how deep they were when Andrew deposited them. I think this project is a good idea, I just want to hear more about it before I jump up and down. As a part time resident of Fla, I would love to see my huge electric bills go down.

[mission9]

Let us be real about what may be accomplished in a public discussion in regards to public policy. I am not asking you to invest a dime. However, this is a viable idea much closer to fruition than many other proposals receiving millions from the government. Are there risks? You betcha. I could think of a bunch more than the know-it-alls have fired off here. The point is - if an engineering company, venture capitalist firm wants to risk capital on this idea we, as a nation, should encourage it. As long as benchmarks for production are established, and the lion share of risk capital is private money, I hope the inventors and investors get filthy rich. Or if they fail to account for some of the obvious (and non-obvious) pitfalls, they lose their kiester. That is the American way. Contrast this approach to the billions of tax-dollars spent on fusion research that has yet to yield one single watt of net power. There are investors ready when this society sends the proper message on risk and reward.

[Sarastro]

On human terms, as far as turning on your Air Conditioner, or reducing the amount of oil this nation buys from foriegn sources, the amount is significant.

It's interesting that this whole thread ignores the elephant in the room: there is plenty of fossil fuel to sustain economic development, even with China and India coming on-line. The rub is that, through an accident of history and geography, a major fraction of the oil is underneath people practicing Islam. If those people were Christian, the issue of U.S. energy independence would go away. Then the discussion would be focused where it should be: alternatives to fossil fuels, the main one being nuclear, which has nearly inexhaustible potential without creating any greenhouse gasses.

[satchmodog9]

I agree with you one hundred percent. Could you imagine the horror this would turn into if it were a federal project? I encourage all forms of alternative energy as long as it is private industry. I just hope the idiots don't keep killing projects like the wind farms because it upsets someones view or kills a bird or two. The thing that didn't quite set is that this is private. You get so used to every damn thing in this country being subsidized. I hope they took everything into consideration and I hope they succeed. I would love to see the utilities have something more available to us other than excuses for why our bills go so high. If it works, I will invest many dimes.

[aNYCguy]

So you believe that oil is dead dinosaurs? Ok, freedom of religion is gauranteed in this country.

I'm genuinely curious: Would you agree that the chemical energy present in wood is solar in origin via photosynthesis? After this post of yours, I'm wondering if you're one of those "dissenters from mainstream science."

[patton]

Of course wood is produced by photsynthesis - and oil is produced far underground, literally miles from sunlight, by some other process.

Many claim it is abiotic - I am not sure. Methane seems to be, but it is quite possible that oil is produced by methane-eating microbes that love hot, dark environments.

What it is not, is dead dinasours or plants or any other surface-dwelling bug.

It is simply not possible.

And yes, I am a scientist.

[mission9]

The elephant in this room on this thread is ocean current energy, which by an accident of history and geography happens to be found in the largest quantity three miles from Miami, the largest metropolis in Fla. The question before us is will we insist that our "leaders" tap this benign but powerful resource for the good of the people?
As to the plenitude of petroleum and other hydro-carbons - granted. But coal, oil shale, natural gas, etc. come with additional penalties not the least of which is carbon dioxide. As for nuclear, I heartily support, but the Pandora's box of complications for nuclear is frightful when compared to ocean current. Do not misunderstand, I ain't skeered. But the cost of Ocean Current is one third what nuclear costs, and the permitting.... we could turn on the juice in one year.

[mark harmon]

How petro is made. (You probably already know this.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum

[patton]

I object - the article still characterizes the formation of oil as the result of dead dinosaurs.

There is no evidence of that, at all. Anywhere.

[Straight Vermonter]

They are putting unreliable power into the grid which must still be backed up with expensive power plants to cover the times when the wind doesn't blow.

You and I seem to be fighting a lost battle to get people to see how incredibly expensive wind power is since you need 2 sources of electricity instead of one.

When I explain it to the environazis pushing wind power in VT I get a blank stare as if I am speaking Sanskrit.