Ocean Energy: What Is It?
It is possible to produce electricity using changes in salinity, temperature gradients, tidal currents, or ocean waves. This is a dependable, sustainable, and economically viable source of energy.
There is a tremendous amount of energy in the seas. Gathering this energy may have significant advantages. Through intricate wind-wave interactions, concentrated solar energy is transformed into the energy found in ocean waves. Global wind currents are produced by a variety of atmospheric phenomena in conjunction with the impacts of Earth’s temperature fluctuation brought on by solar heating. These wind currents have a direct impact on the direction, formation, and propagation of ocean waves.
Ocean tides, on the other hand, are periodic changes in the elevation and flow velocity of seawater that are caused by the earth’s motion in relation to the moon and sun as well as the interplay of their gravitational pull. The tide conditions fluctuate greatly over time due to a variety of phenomena pertaining to the tilt of the earth’s rotation, its rate of rotation, and the interaction between gravitational and rotational forces. In coastal regions, where limited routes enhance water flow and raise energy density, tide conditions are more noticeable.
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Resources For Ocean Energy Are Found In:
While kinetic energy from tidal (marine) currents may be captured using modular systems, potential energy from tides can be captured by constructing barrages or other structures across estuaries.
Modular technologies have the ability to harness both the kinetic and potential energy associated with ocean waves.
A variety of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) techniques can be used to capture thermal energy resulting from the temperature differential between the sea surface and depth.
Utilizing pressure-retarded reverse osmosis and related conversion technologies, energy related to the salinity gradient may be captured at river mouths where fresh and salt water mingle.
In addition to hybridizing the above described methods, additional possibilities for renewable ocean resources, such hydrothermal vents, are also being explored. The globe has been more interested in the ocean renewable energy industry, particularly in the areas of wave and tidal current energy conversion technologies, due to the introduction of numerous innovative concepts and the documented success of several deployments. Several technologies are being investigated for energy applications other than the production of electricity, such as desalination for the production of drinking water, compressed air supply for aquaculture, and electrolysis for the creation of hydrogen.
