Behold, I am the king of geeks!
As BGB can attest, I'm pretty thoroughly geeky. But I temper it with an interest in a broad array of things.

For instance, I have a Stirling cycle engine. (Google for it- it's difficult to explain.) Basically it's a small desktop demonstration toy that turns a flywheel, powered by a bunch of ice cubes and the temperature of the surrounding air.

I brought the thing to the office, having repaired it last night (it had a rubber bit that had gotten old and broken), and have had a stream of engineers coming through to check it out.

This has led to discussions of alternative energy with a few of them. As we have an R&D department, it may be that I can persuade someone to get funding to build one of these to run off of seawater.

Now I just need to get the attention of the right person here...

Heh.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 30 Jan 2009, 15:38, 7 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

The Stirling Engine rocks
The Swedish Navy use them in their submarines:

www.nti.org/db/submarines/sweden/index.html
(Ethelred is watching cheese grow, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 15:56, Reply)

Ethelred
It's always got to be about the swedish navy with you, doesn't it?

You could write what you don't know about the swedish navy on the back of a postage stamp.
(tiger blood and Adonis DNA, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 16:25, Reply)

Berticles
I can't say that the Swedish Navy floats my boat...
(Ethelred is watching cheese grow, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 16:35, Reply)

Good luck with your project your majesty...

Be careful though mate - If you invent a machine that is too cheap and efficient you'll become a target for the oil companies...

Their hitmen anyway.

Look at me, I accidentally discovered cold fusion a couple of years ago and the government had my brain fried with cider and yummy Chinese food.

Well, that's my story anyway
( Pooflake braces for an onslaught..., Fri 30 Jan 2009, 16:59, Reply)

Isn't this what they already do
with geothermal energy?

Not that I'm trying to shoot your idea down - in principle, I think it's a wonderful idea, especially if it can be made to work - but if you're going to try and run one on a industrial scale, wouldn't you need a fairly hefty temperature gradient?
(LongJohnBaldry, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 17:23, Reply)

He is geeky.
*attests*
( girlinthehole, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 17:58, Reply)

It would be good with geothermal, certainly.
I was just thinking that it would be easier to install in the ocean... especially in the equatorial regions! Damn but that could make some serious power!

Ah well. We'll see what happens with it...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 30 Jan 2009, 19:11, Reply)