Jim H. Adams
Efficiency of a Carnot engine and Earth's thermodynamics.
Icelandic energy and the EU.
Wave power.
The first states that the power efficiency of the Earth is proportional to
(Th - Tc)/Th, where Th is the hot temperature and Tc is the cold temperature.
Efficiency of a
Carnot engine
and Earth's thermodynamics.
This is based on a Carnot cycle which is a maximally efficient thermodynamic engine. This means that the power of climate change storms is proportional to temperature difference and not temperature, and goes down with higher temperatures.
Icelandic energy and the EU.
I met the engineer Nick Rouse 20 years ago. We discussed the idea of a DC electricity cable using volcanic geothermal energy from Iceland to Scotland. Nowadays I think industry should be located in Iceland itself and it should be EU policy to enable this for green energy reasons.
In Iceland 99.94% of electricity production is hydro or volcanic geothermal. The potential is immense, at least 10 times more power for geothermal.
Aluminium production has relocated from the US to Iceland for cost reasons. It takes 70% of electrical energy consumption and in 2020 had 800 MW capacity.
Wave Power
Wave power engines suffer from a problem that high energy obtained in storms is not comparable with normal operations. Engines have to accommodate this wide energy range.
An assessment of Ireland's Wave energy resources was made in 2005. Theoretical wave energy of 525 TWh exists within Irish waters. The total electricity generation in Ireland is 30 TWh. The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan identified 31,000 MW of wave energy in Ireland that could be extracted without significant environmental impact. This is mainly on the western seaboard.
As of 2023 wave power is not employed for commercial operations after a long series of trial projects. In small-scale tests Slater's duck has 81% efficiency.
The European Marine Energy Centre has supported the deployment of wave and tidal energy. A 2017 University study focused on the failure to develop market ready energy devices.
The amount of funding for Caderache nuclear fusion is 18 billion euros. By comparison the US has funded $25 million on eight wave power projects. Yet I would say that wave power is nearer fruition than nuclear fusion.