| 摘要 |
Power is generated using the temperature difference between the water at the surface of a large body of water whose temperature might be in the vicinity of 25 DEG C. or 77 DEG F., and water at considerable depth in the body of water whose temperature might be in the order of about 5 DEG C. or 41 DEG F. A floating structure is provided which extends in the order of 50 meters below the surface of the water, and input water is initially filtered and deaerated, and then drops for most of the height of the submerged structure before driving a conventional hydraulic turbine. The warm water at the output of the turbine is returned to the level of the surface of the body of water by a mist flow pump arrangement using a large tapered duct that is operated at reduced pressure, with droplets of the warm water from the output of the turbine being sprayed into the bottom of the duct. With the duct being at a pressure below the saturation vapor pressure of the injected warm water, some of the water evaporates or boils to form steam and this expanding steam carries the water droplets to the top of the duct against the force of gravity. The droplets are small enough so that the viscous friction is sufficient to enable the steam to carry them up. At the top of the duct the flow is turned radially outward to a condenser, in which cold water from the depths is employed to condense the mist, and the mixed hot and cold water stream is subsequently returned to an intermediate temperature level of the body of water.
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