China's ocean temperature difference energy generation has made a new breakthrough

Xinhua News Agency Guangzhou, Sept. 11 Ocean temperature difference energy is an important Marine new energy, and it is also an important field of global new energy research. China Geological Survey Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey led the development of 20kW ocean floating thermal energy generation device recently successfully completed sea trials in the South China Sea, returned to Nansha, Guangzhou. This is the first time that China has realized the original verification and engineering operation of ocean temperature difference energy generation under actual sea conditions, and effectively promoted the development and utilization of deep-sea energy in China.

Photo taken in East China's Jiangsu province, July 23, 2019 shows an ocean thermal energy generator carrying the "Ocean Geology No. 2" ship. 

Marine thermal energy is one of the Marine renewable energy sources, which refers to the thermal energy formed by the temperature difference between the surface water and the deep water of the ocean, and has great development value and potential. Ningbo, a senior engineer of Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, said that China's ocean temperature difference energy reserves are rich, but the relevant research was still in the laboratory theoretical research and land test stage.

Photo taken in East China's Jiangsu province, July 23, 2019 shows an ocean thermal energy generator carrying the "Ocean Geology No. 2" ship. 

In order to further carry out the study of Marine temperature difference energy, Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey has established a three-dimensional water temperature model of the South China Sea based on the results of previous basic investigations in the fields of Marine geology, ocean current and hydrology in the South China Sea, and evaluated and optimized the advantageous sea areas suitable for the development of temperature difference energy in the South China Sea. At the same time, Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey also cooperated with the National Engineering Research Center for Gas hydrate Exploration and Development, the Guangdong Laboratory of Southern Marine Science and Engineering (Guangzhou), the Institute of Exploration Technology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and Beijing Frontier Power Technology Co., LTD. According to the actual sea conditions of the South China Sea, the first 20kW Marine floating thermoelectric power generation device in China has been independently developed.

In August this year, the set of Marine thermal energy power generation equipment aboard the "Ocean Geology No. 2" ship carried out the first sea test in the South China Sea at a depth of 1,900 meters, and successfully completed the verification of thermal energy power generation technology. According to Ningbo, the total power generation time of this test is 4 hours and 47 minutes, the maximum power generation power is 16.4kW, and the effective power generation utilization rate reaches 17.7%.

"The sea test proved that the self-developed Marine thermal energy power generation system is feasible, and also verified the practicality of Marine thermal energy power generation utilization, marking that China's Marine thermal energy development and utilization has taken a key step from land test to offshore engineering application." Ningbo said.