Capt. Mike & Pat,
I have decided to condense the thoughts contained in the post that was lost and give what I think will make the main point about why the system I have mentioned will work.
In the same manor that more battery mass equals more chemical energy potential, the larger volume of liquid that can be held in place equals more thermal transfer into pressure potential. Being as water is heavy it is best to put it as low in a boat as possible. Insulation gives the control over thermal leakage and allows the use of hot and cold to best suite the needs due to seasonal temperatures.
Even with a surface temperature of 33 F degrees, liquid propane will allow heat to be extracted, accumulated and stored. How that heat is used is completely within our control. The surface water can be either a collector or sink, we have the choice.
Mike, the idea of cold air blowing on you as you are working that BBQ grill and enjoying a cold brew in a 100 degree day and the thought that this is due to your batteries taking a charge, can really give electric power a new meaning.
Fuel combustion, high energy release from a large bank of batteries, or a long slow and somewhat small energy release, all have reason to be put into thoughts of future marine designs.
Pat, based on your location and distance between the two lakes and who owns what, I see you have a nice potential for a powerplant of some size, with energy concerns at all levels being what they are today, you might be surprised that a permit would possibly be granted to bore under the county road. In Texas I think law requires any energy company to buy energy from anyone that can produce some amount from whatever system or recovery process. I'm not sure they have to pay at any governed rate?
Now to the propane tank, adding all the mechanical things, I think will add confusion, especially to anyone having a hard time with just this one thought.
A tank of some size and from 1 to 80% liquid will reach a pressure which will relate to the temperature outside the tank, as you stated correctly. The quantity of liquid and gas space within the tank will control what happens and how long of a time a cycle will last.
Consider a tank with 20% liquid and 80% gas volume, now use the 118 F degree temperature that has been mentioned, a pressure of near 225 psi will be reached, now consider (inside the tank) depending on tank size, a tube coil and a vane motor, the coil is 1" copper, 150' in length and has a relief valve set at say 200 psi, the motor is plumed into the coil at best design location.
Now this is the most important thing, when the relief valve opens, high pressure gas will do work on the motor and pressure will drop in the main portion of the tank, the discharge from the motor is isolated from these changes for a moment of time being as it is inside the tube, this discharge gas will travel through the tube and at some point pressure and temperature will phase it back to liquid.
Every part of the tank starting with the shell, then including the liquid, the motor, the tube coil, and the gas flowing in the coil will experience dynamic changes and they will happen at different rates. Based on these events control can be designed into (within reason) a system where cold liquid and higher pressure gas are in a state of non equilibrium. Work(heat) must be dispersed at the same rate that heat is brought into the cold liquid.
Well I just thought it would be a simple statement :(
Another major heat source and more mechanics will come into the final design. Also I did not really mean I would throw the bottle overboard, just wanted to make a point.
Ron
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