OCEANS AND AIR

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1929, Page 7

OCEANS AND AIR

TO-MORROW*S POWER. , “LIMITLESS ABUNDANCE.” LOOKING AHEAD In a recent issue of the “Faraday -ouse Journal” (London) appears, over the name of Mr F. de Latour, A.M.1.E.E., an electrical engineer well .;nown in Wellington, an article which suggests quite unexplored possibilities power development of the future. .he harnessing of ocean power has oeen the dream of some engineers and many cranks for years past, but no me has managed it yet. Mr de Latour suggests a new method altogether, and mentions in his article that some time ago lie “was foolish enough to present the New Zealand Government with patent fees.” But lie concludes his article: “Many now .dive will seen them in operation.” As engineers (he wrote) we are not greatly disturbed by scare headings telling us that the fuel resources of the world will last for only a few years We know in a general way that there are many sources waiting to lie Harnessed It is an engineering platitude that whenever there are two stores of matter not too far apart at different temperatures median,ic-ail energy is available by utilising some of them as beat injector and the ‘otlier as rejector When we look for such stores we are bewildered by the number of them all round us. The two greatest are, perhaps, the oceans of the world and the atmosphere.

TEMPERATURE, NOT WAVE

MOTION

Consider the oceans first. It is generally known that the sea decreases in temperature with depth. It is not so well-known that the temperaures gradient is much steeper in the Tropics than in temperature latitudes. At the Equator one may find water at 35 degrees F. at 800 or 900 ft. from the surface, while in latitude JO it will be necessary to go 1200 ft. for such water. The sun heats the surface water. and conduction downwards proceeds continuously. The denser Polar water underneath causes the unbalanced warmer column to flow away in the form of ocean currents. The rate of convection is greater than that of conduction, so that, the cold water comes nearer the surface in the tropi 'a l belt. At the Equator the surface water is about 90 degrees, and we can gei water at 35 degrees by going down 800 or 900 ft. Sometimes, when a hoi current has spread to temperate latitudes (as - ' e western coasts of

the Americas) the gradient may be much steeper again. Here, then, is. one magnificent source oi energy—boiler, condenser, battery—titanic and everlasting. How shall ;t be adapted to serve our human ends ? Some fifteen years ago the thought presented itself, and the writer, being very young, planned in detail a power-station of 300,000 k.w. to work in the sea- off Sydney, and was even foolish' enough to present the New Zealand Government with patent fees to cover the app.ication. He was, perhaps, 50 years too soon, but has already had the satisfaction ol seeing the system “invented by the eminent Messieurs Claude and Boucliesot, of France.” All that is required for development is a turbine fed with low pressure team generated by the surface water v ind condensed by tiie .colder from below, or alternatively by the vapour of i. working substance such as carbon lioxide, which would be exhausted to pipe coils hung in the deep> water, to ue there condensed and repuinped as liquid to the surface water boiler. ALMOST LIMITLESS. The system would obviously produce extraordinary cheap power in almost limitless abundance. The limit to development conies, in fact, only when the Polar ice is melted and the tropical seas are converted to temperate ones. It is mportant to note that the open oceans only are available for continuous power production. Enclosed seas have a steep gradient in summer, but are even in temperature throughout the winter. This is also the case with lakes. In these ‘reuses there is no Polar water available to form the condenser.

Most of the countries of the world, situated in tropical and temperate (atitudos, have coasts for ocean power plants. Many will be enabled to change the climate considerably by this means, in Australia water may be lifted over the watersheds of tlfe north and east to reproduce the great lakes that once existed in the interior. The evaporation is truly enormous, and once the lakes and rivers are established a very small make-up will ensure a plentiful rainfall throughout the country. A similar programme will bring the Sahara into active production of food with the help of power-produced fertilisers. <

POWER FROM AIR TEMPERATURES . The second source of future power is the atmosphere. Here, again, we find that the temperature varies at different points in an immense store of fluid m,attar. Therefore, it may be utilised. Tn this case the co'der portion is the least dense. How, then, are we to bring it in? Install on a

mountain side a double insulated pipe line connected at the top to a pond and at'the base to a turbine and pipe coil in the atmosphere. Fill the system with a suitable liquid, such as calcium chloride solution.,; The coh uinn of cold- liquid descending from the elevated pond is not balanced by the warmed ascending column and, consequently, power may be continuously obtained from the turbineshaft. The system' is, of course, tin ocean plant reversed. It is probably not capable of producing power quit, as cheaply, but would serve where the former is not readily obtainable. There are many other sources. Those described above are obviously capable of supplying the power requirements of tlie world for longer than we can imagine.. ' Many now alive will see them in operation. WWHIIMHIIIH