Karen Vázquez Morales, Juan Francisco Bárcenas Graniel,
2020
Memorias de congresos
Salinity gradient determination on the Mexican Caribbean Coastal zone and the technical viability to generate blue energy
1
978-9977-930-33-6
CIENCIAS DE LA TECNOLOGIA
TECNOLOGIA DE LA ENERGIA
FUENTES DE ENERGIA NO CONVENCIONALES
This research is focused around freshwater discharges to the sea that according to measurements, indicate, at least salinity gradients up to 35 ups with temperatures of approximately 26`C. these discharges (volumetric flow rate) coming from the basin, vary in time: inter-annual, seasonal; it is even different from day to day, mainly because of different forcing that impact the sea level variability due to wind, tides, air pressure or even sea temperature, among other reasons. These freshwater discharges are usually clear in appearance; however, they contain carbonates, pollutants coming from the basin and generally, they have a lower temperature than the sea. It is essential to mention that through Quintana Roo coasts, several discharges with volumetric flow rates can be found, the vast majority of them have not been neither measured nor kept a record, there are not even systematic measurements of physical, chemical or biological criteria, for instance. In this regional context the energy potential evaluation of salinity gradient is a matter that could lead to provide more information t other research areas as well as environmental, social, hydrological areas, etc. measured discharges in this research are in the range of 250 liters per second -Punta Esmeralda en Playa del Carmen-, up to 5000 cubic meters per second, Cenote Manatí close to Tulum- however, other locations with the same or larger scale have been observed. These potential locations were monitored with CTD-Castaway equipment and current meter, both belonging to Universidad del Caribe, data obtained by the CTD profiler were processed in the software Castaway, having graphics related to depth, salinity, and temperature of every and each of the measured spots. The volumetric flow rate was obtained by substituting provided data by the current meter in equations, equation 1 and 2, determined by FAO (2009). Potential values of 191.3kW and 2503.46kW were obtained.