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Ocean Thermal Energy Desalination (OTED) is the latest innovative technology that is catching the attention of engineers and businessmen at the fifth edition of Project Oatar -2008 (an expo showcasing building materials, equipment and technology) at the new Doha exhibition Center.
A technology from Japan, the OTED doesn’t use any fuel for desalinating waste water. The brainchild of Xenesys Inc. (a power generating and seawater desalination plant in Japan), the OTED technology works on the principle of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), a method for generating electricity by using the temperature difference that exists between the upper layer and lower layer sea water to run a heat engine.
Akira Suzuki, the Director of Xenesys Inc., said,
"OTED is a special technology that has been designed keeping in mind the Arab region’s necessity and conditions.
Although Ocean Thermal Energy Desalination is inspired by the famous Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion theory, the former is different in many ways. Normally, the upper level of the sea has a temperature of 28 degrees centigrade as compared to the bottom which is approximately 800 to 1000 degree centigrade. So, the deeper the sea, the greater the temperature difference.
As with any heat engine, the greatest efficiency and power is produced with the highest temperature difference. But, since the sea is not very deep in this part of the world, we had to devise another medium. Thus the OTED was born which is effectively in not so deep waters."
Xenesys has been in Qatar since November 2007 to collaborate with Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) in upgrading the process of desalination.
