Here is a thermal image of the compressor from the above Stanford University report:
- compressor-heat.jpg (110.64 KiB) Viewed 33 times
My first thought was, look at all that heat/energy going to waste!
I'm wondering if this is a three stage compressor for high pressure or just a high volume compressor.
Anyway, either way it's throwing a lot of heat, as compressors generally do.
The report identified another source of "extra" power I had not thought of
The flotation canisters are not just open on the bottom like a half shell, but enclosed with relatively small holes.
So, as the air rises and expands the water in the canister is forced downward in jets through those holes, theoretically helping to propel the canister upward through the water like a rocket.
Well, a very slow moving rocket, but, all put together, perhaps 20 canisters with 10 or so holes each would be 200 water jets helping push the canisters upward, in addition to the natural buoyancy.
I still think the heat from the compressor could be put to better use.
Water cooling the compressor with the tank water would make compression easier, and also cause the air in the canisters to expand faster, eject water from the "jets" more forcefully.
This is better than just bubbling the air up under some half shell type buoyancy units. The expanding air is doing more work which is put to better use creating jets of water to help propel the thing around.
So each canister is actually an ambient heat powered water rocket of sorts
https://youtu.be/--FuVXV1sfY
Of course, for that to work, the injected air needs to be colder than ambient. So, good idea to let the heat dissipate from the compressor. That makes the expanding gas colder, giving the "rockets" more power.
Still, heating the water with the compressor heat would add even more power I think, and take the load off the compressor.