Posted Dec 27, 2008, 7:53 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,572
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This "heat engine" that they talk about is really just a variation of the Stirling engine, which was patented in 1816. They definitely work, but the cost and efficiency of the engine has always been the hold-up. Getting your heat source for free definitely helps keep the cost down, and mass-production of the parts would help even more. The efficiency of the system has a lot of factors, one of which is the internal "fluid" used for the transfer of heat. I have no idea how propane fares, but I do know that hydrogen is the most efficient. However, nobody has figured out how to keep a Stirling engine so well-sealed to prevent hydrogen from leaking!
You also have to consider the environmental effect of such a system - it runs by transferring heat from one side to the other. It is creating a small short circuit in the natural heating/cooling cycle of the ocean. The effect is probably too small to measure, but it should be looked at and considered.
Ultimately, this will all come down to money. I highly doubt anyone can come up with the money to build the system without a huge government subsidy - and currently most governments are flat broke.
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