On the possibilities of thermal energy conversion in lakes

Abstract

The paper discusses the possibility of extracting electrical energy from the thermal energy stored in stratified lakes. Three situations are examined, an open lake or pond acting as a solar collector, a combination of waste heat and solar energy, and selective withdrawal of warm and cold streams from a stratified hydroelectric reservoir. Approximate calculations of the energy returns are made for typical conditions. The returns are limited by environmental factors as well as a short operating season. By using the deep stratified Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan and Ontario) as solar collectors, a few thousand megawatts of electrical power could be produced in the Great Lakes Basin during the summer months. This power could be produced on a year‐round basis by a single large nuclear generating station.