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Use condenser & plant cooling water to run a heat engine like those that run a ocean thermal energy conversion OTEC rankine cycle engine


Description

Summary

Condenser and plant cooling water exiting fossil fuel plants usually exit condensers between 100 to 110 degrees F. and closed cooling water heat exchangers near 100 degrees F.  Use that warm water on the discharge to run a closed loop Rankine Cycle heat engine. Use cool deep ocean water or deep well water at the site near 40 to 60 degrees to condense the freon or ammonia in the closed loop cycle to be used over and over.. Can also be used at Nuke plants along the coastline. This OTEC energy technology is transferrable to land uses..

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/otec.html

 


Category of the action

Mitigation - What U.S. Federal Agencies can do to mitigate climate change


What actions do you propose?

Using waste heat energy from cooling water will lower the heat rate of existing power plants. Up to 35% of the plants energy is wasted from cooling plant equipment. Recover some of the 35% lost heat and generate electrical power from it and fuel costs go down. The governments "Climate Action Plan" would help fund the idea: http://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change


Who will take these actions?

Existing power plant businesses can install such systems mandated by the government to lower fuel costs and GHG emissions...Government grant money can be granted to build test facilities and profits from them can build other plants while paying the government back. The governments "Climate Action Plan" would help fund the idea: http://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change


Where will these actions be taken?

Action to be taken anywhere fossil fuel plants discharge warm water into a bay,ocean, river,reservoir or lake. Deep cool well water or ocean water at that location can be used as the condensing medium.


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

Proposal may reduce  25% of all fossil fuel emissions from stacks and may generate another 25mw per 100mw's generated...


What are other key benefits?

The idea can reduce many of the ill effects of climate change that fossil fuels are bringing us today such as Co2. SOX, NOX, particulate matter, smog, higher sea levels, higher SST's and so on.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Perhaps a few million per site no negative side effects as they help prevent them as mentioned above in Key Benefits..


Time line

Phased in 5-15 years as demanded by government laws.


Related proposals

This other idea of mine uses some of the same OTEC technology..

 

https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1300701/planId/1306704


References

Have not found any. This is new use of this technology and OTEC is transferable to industrial land power generation sites.