|
These methane deposits may be tapped as a power source in the future.
Apparently there's a LOT of it. One problem to be solved though is the
environmental impact of burning large amounts of methane and creating another
source of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Using solar to recharge battery banks for a sub would require a pretty
large array of panels. My little sub will have 14 batteries total and it'll take
a 240 volt charger running several hours to re-charge after a day of diving. My
limited experience with solar panels makes me think you'd need about 1500 sq.
ft. of panels to do the job. That's probably about $25K in panels alone. Not
really cost effective, or easily deployed. Better to have a nice big generator
on a support boat or dock side and just plug in. Most harbors have power
available at the dock. For far afield trips a generator and charger are low
maintenance and again, just plug it in.
A large sub like the Euro has the on-board diesel/gen set to keep things
topped up.
A well outfitted support boat with genset, compressor, BBQ and wet bar is a
better investment than 1500 sq. ft. of solar panels.
'course, that's just me. Frank D.
|