6770484
submission
sterlingda writes:
Bruce Marshall has filed a patent for a hydrothermal system that would harness the vast energy available from deep sea hydrothermal vents in which water seeps into near-surface magma, where it is continuously heated and ejected through vents at around 750 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot water and minerals would be brought to the surface to turn turbines. The vent output is very consistent and energy dense and at very high volumes. This is a brand new, previously untouched, energy source — a discovery on the scale of man's harnessing nuclear power, but cleaner and potentially cheaper. National Geographic estimates the power of just the known worldwide vents at around 17 million megawatts, with thousands of miles of ocean still unexplored. It's difficult to estimate the quality and number of vents that are convenient enough to be practical, but Marshall believes that several thousand gigawatts of power are recoverable worldwide-- the equivalent of perhaps 1,000 or more nuclear power plants. Also, as the hydrothermal fluid rises it carries with it some of the richest ores to be found anywhere, laden with just about every metal and mineral that we mine the surface for now. Anyone have a few spare billion to help build the pilot plant?
6769932
submission
sterlingda writes:
Jack Passerello, who was involved with the invention of the first computer chip, proposes that the fractal antenna technology that is used in cell phones could be engineered to capture naturally-occurring electromagnetic waves and convert them into usable power. An engineering breakthrough would be needed, along with a multi-discipline cooperative approac, to get sufficienty coherence from the wide array of miniscule power inputs.
6769812
submission
sterlingda writes:
Mr. Ohmasa, president of Japan Techno, Inc., has devised a method of producing an unusual hydrogen-oxygen gas by using low frequency vibrations to circulate the water upon which electrolysis is run, creating a highly stable H2-O2 gas called Ohmasa gas which exhibits unusual characteristics. Also, while oxygen normally liquifies at -183 C, and hydrogen liquiefies at -253 C, Ohmasa gas liquefies at -178 C. Also, the Ohmasa gas does not escape from containers that hold oxygen but not normal hydrogen; it holds its pressure in the container, making storage and shipment feasible. Similar to Brown's Gas, one can wave their hand through the Ohmasa gas torch flame, yet that same flame will vaporize Tungsten in a second. When Ohmasa gas is burned, its emission is water vapor. Hence, with this new method, water could conceivably become the energy carrier of choice for energy produced from renewable sources such as solar and wind. Some modifications would likely need to be made to existing engines for it to work well with them, and it would require new tanks (gaseous rather than liquid), and new dispensing orifices.