The Sea Tower is a simple but very stable marine structure derived from the example of the FLIP research vessel launched in 1962 and in use to the present day. It is what is technically known as a ‘spar’ or pylon buoy structure that is self-stable in open sea conditions by virtue of having a large proportion of this vertical structure underwater and ballasted to achieve a state of near-neutral buoyancy. Thus instead of reacting to surface waves as a boat, it remains stable and waves pass around it. They are potentially the smallest scale structures that are self-stable in open sea conditions. Though little explored today except for very large mobile oil rigs, these simple structures have innumerable applications and can be potentially fashioned in many ways. Some may be based on modular or cable-stayed construction and ‘deployed’ at sea using support vessels. Others may employ a unified construction intended to be deployed rather like the FLIP vessel; towed or carried by semi-submersible barge to sea in a horizontal position and flooding their ballast tanks to achieve a vertical orientation.
Sea Towers many have many supplementary roles in the Aquarius and Bifrost phases of TMP, serving such practical functions as mobile telecommunications stations, down-range ocean telemetry networks, weather and oceanographic research stations, open-sea fish farming, and stand-alone OTEC plants. However, many other uses might be explored such as unique hotels, luxury vacation housing, open sea underwater habitats, and the like. While useful in many ways, Sea Towers will probably not be suited to permanent marine settlement because, as with marine oil and gas rigs, it is inconvenient to transfer people and goods too and from them, they have very limited space for self-supporting production, and it is not possible to fabricate or repair new towers from aboard these towers. (robust nanotechnology may be needed to make that possible) But their many practical and recreational uses may make them a useful form of marine architecture to develop.
Study of Various Sea Towers
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- OTEC
- Pneumatically Stabilized Platforms - PSP
- SeaFoam
- Aquarian Digital Infrastructure
- VersaBot
- Cold Water Radiant Cooling
- Large Area Cast Acrylic Structures
- Polyspecies Mariculture
- Free-Range Fish Farming
- Algeaculture
- Terra Preta
- Cold-Bed Agriculture
- Hydroponics
- Small Space Animal Husbandry
- Tidal/Wave/Current Systems
- Algae-Based Biofuel Systems
- Vanadium Redox Systems
- Hydride Storage Systems
- Next-Generation Hydrogen Storage
- Alternative Hydrolizer Systems
- Supercritical Water Oxidation
- Plasma Waste Conversion