Peter Ravine Ocean Energy

From Energy-Experts

Draft Addendum

Linear Underwater Gas Storage

Prefabricated Float Out Units.

To minimize underwater work and to make storage units more robust, an option could be to prefabricate storage units onshore in the form shown below and then to float them out and sink them in deployment positions. Little, if any, prior seabed preparation may be needed. (Sorry the diagram seems to be lost. I don't seem to be able to paste it back. Please email me at rravine@bigpond.net.au for it)

Once in position, sufficient seabed sediment could be pumped into pontoon/ballast trays to prevent units from floating when tanks are filled with gas. It may be possible to construct units out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stabilized to withstand underwater environments. Tanks would be cylindrical with hemispherical ends. Internal flexible bladders may be advisable to prevent contamination and/or losses to or from seawater. The tank shapes would allow bladders to be pushed in evenly by seawater, without kinking, as gas is removed. Final crease lines may require special treatment.

Units would be connected to underwater gas manifold piping with appropriate, such as push-on, joints. Isolation valves would then be opened to fill them with gas. Each gas should have its own separate joint diameter to prevent inadvertent cross connection.

Electricity Generation

An option for generating electricity may be to use oxy-hydrogen and oxy-ammonia turbines along lines outlined by Charles W Foresberg of the US Oakridge National Laboratory in paragraph 6.1.1, headed “ Steam Turbines Without Boilers” of his paper on peak electricity: http://www.ornl.gov/~webworks/cppr/y2001/pres/125179.pdf __http://www.ornl.gov/~webworks/cppr/y2001/pres/125580.pdf__ of which pages 27, 30, 38 and 48 refer to potential spinning reserve and frequency control capabilities of oxy-hydrogen turbines. It might improve the value of underwater gas storage.

© Peter Ravine 12 March 2008