Ocean thermal energy: Potentials and pitfalls
Abstract Thermal energy in vast reaches of the world's oceans lies waiting to be tapped by a fuel‐hungry world. The United States— the one heavily industrialized nation with “OTEC”; waters lapping its shores—is actively developing the technology; Japan and a European consortium are also pressing forward. The resource may be of practical value soon to favorably situated islands (e.g., Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Cuba) and Third World countries. Meaningful contributions to mainland U.S. electricity needs are almost certainly a decade or more in the future, and conjectural. Environmental dangers loom if OTEC is too extensively and hurriedly deployed, and for the United States it is not a substitute for nuclear fission and fossil fuel in meeting immediate energy needs.
Confidential classification of multi‐beam bathymetric mapping of the U.S. EEZ: Is a new U.S. marine scientific research policy in order?
Abstract Currently, the United States recognizes the right of foreign coastal states to control American marine scientific research within their EEZs, yet refuses to exercise jurisdiction over foreign research in U.S. waters based upon its desire to encourage freedom of international oceanic research. This article proposes a reexami‐nation of current U.S. MSR policy in light of the recent U.S. decision to give NOAA produced multi‐beam bathymetric maps of the U.S. EEZ a security classification of “confidential.”; The author argues that present U.S. policy is not effectively influencing the MSR policies of other coastal states and is not fully protecting U.S. security and economic interests. A policy which requires foreign research vessels to give notice and to agree to share data prior to working within the U.S. EEZ is suggested as a more appropriate alternative.
POWER GENERATION FROM OCEAN CURRENTS
There is considerable energy available from ocean currents. The velocity of these is generally low and it varies with location, the seasons, and with depth from the ocean surface. It is possible to use this energy for power generation and an analysis is presented reviewing various types of water turbines, including Water Wheels, Kaplan Turbines, Propeller Turbines and Vertical Axis Machines. The analysis evaluates the effects of velocity gradients and the machines best suited for this application. Due to the low energy flux, the machinery will get relatively large and is of slow speed. However, since substantial amounts of energy are available, such water turbines may become of interest in specific locations where such units can be built close to the source of energy demand.