Potential for conversion of thermal energy in electrical energy: Highlighting the Brazilian Ocean Thermal Energy Park and the Inverse Anthropogenic Effect

Abstract

Renewable energies as an additional source have become vital in modern societies. The search for alternative energy sources has led the scientific community to the oceans, demanding a shift in energetic policies, which must be redefined to favor the development of renewable energy technologies at sea. The goal is to generate electric energy while producing less pollutants or even while using the outputs of human anthropic activities as input for the generation of energy, food, products and for the mitigation of climate change impacts. The present study focus on the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which presents the greatest potential for energy exploitation from the oceans and which generates a range of by-products. The South Atlantic Ocean presents the potential to support OTEC plants, with emphasis on the region called Brazilian Ocean Thermal Energy Park, with a total coverage area of 1,893,000.00 k m 2 and an operating potential of up to 376 OTEC plants. Results of this work indicate that the park operation in maximum capacity can generate energy at a nominal power of 41.36 G W , and remove 60.16 G W or 60.16 G J / s of ocean heat and 8.13 k g / s or 256.37 T g / y e a r of atmospheric C O 2 . • Definition of a Brazilian viable oceanic region for an OTEC plant operation: the Ocean Thermal Energy Park (OTEP). • The OTEP is able to operate up to 376 plants, with a damping area of 5,026 Km 2 /plant for the thermodynamic effects. • The location with the best MW/km ratio is in the power range between 120 and 125 MW. • The OTEP in its maximum capacity is capable of generating 41.36 GW of energy and withdraw 60.16 GW of heat from the ocean.. • The proposed OTEP can withdraw 256.37 Tg/year of atmospheric CO2 from the ocean.