(from left) Bayu Saputra, Ardi Lukman Hakim, and Christian Vieri Halim who has initiated the solution of the electricity crisis in NTT through a hydrothermal vent

ITS Campus, ITS News – East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is one of the regions in Indonesia with a low electrification ratio. In response to the condition, the student team of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) also tried to provide an environmentally friendly hydrothermal vent-based underwater electricity system solution.

Hydrothermal vents are cracks in the planet’s surface that can heat the waters geothermally. The heat energy from this hydrothermal vent will be used as the main source of power generation. “The potential of hydrothermal vents has never been utilized for power generation,” said Bayu Saputra, team leader.

Together with two of his teammates, Ardi Lukman Hakim (Department of Chemistry 2020) and Christian Vieri Halim (Department of Physical Engineering 2020), Bayu initiated an underwater hydrothermal vent renewable energy power plant in Busur Area, Komba Waters, NTT. “In this region, the density of hydrothermal vents is high and can produce more energy,” explained this student of the Department of Geomatics Engineering.

Design of an underwater power plant initiated by ITS student team.

The innovation won 2nd place in the Marine Innovation Festival Indonesia 2021 held by the Student Association of Engineering Faculty of  Hasanuddin University(HMSP FT-UH) not long ago. The initial stage of the plant’s work is the burst of hot fluid from the hydrothermal vent captured by the giant dome. “Because it contains a lot of minerals, the fluid needs to infiltrate first,” he explained.

The filtration fluid will enter the MSF evaporator section while the residue pumps out. In MSF evaporators, hot fluids neutralize into pure fluids. “This pure fluid will support the effectiveness of turbine work,” continued the 2020 class of students.

Hydrothermal vent power plant work scheme for the solution of the electricity crisis in NTT initiated by its student team

Further, this young man from Blitar explained that the results of pure fluid will go into the mixing chamber and then flowed to the boiler. Inside the boiler, the fluid phase will be converted into water vapor. “This high-temperature, high-pressure water vapor will rotate the turbine connected to the generator to generate electricity,” he said.

Once used to drive the turbine, Bayu continued, the fluid will be pumped back into the mixing chamber and mixed with a freshly processed pure fluid to drive the turbine. “For electricity transmission, we use submarine cable,” added the student born in 2003.

Poster display by ITS student team in Marine Innovation Festival Indonesia 2021

For the construction of tools using ballast tanks so that construction and easier maintenance at a depth of 1,500-2,000 meters. At sea depths, factors such as high pressure, temperature fluctuations, and shock resistance are highly influential. “Striped dome is the solution of the obstacle because it can drain heat evenly so that there is no stress at one point,” he said.

Lastly, Bayu expressed his hope that this innovation gets attention and further research considering the lack of research on hydrothermal vents. “Hopefully this work can be implemented to the community, especially this plant is very realistic to build,” he concluded while praying. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Reporter: Frecia Elrivia Mardianto