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New Energy Source Powers Subsea Robots Indefinitely - NASA

Power modules driven by ocean temperatures save money, reduce pollution

The power modules they developed are based on what’s known as a phase-change material, in this case a paraffin-family substance with a melting point about 50°F – between typical deep-ocean and surface temperatures. It’s the same concept as a steam engine, but changing from solid to liquid brings about a 10% expansion, so the trick was to make the device efficient enough to operate on that tiny bit of energy. Chao noted that many entities, including offshore drillers, wind farm developers, the military, and environmentalists, are interested in mapping the 80% of the seafloor that remains uncharted.

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