Preliminary Design of a 1-MWe OTEC Test Plant

1982 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Kajikawa
Keyword(s):  
Cold Water ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Test Plant ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Preliminary Design ◽  
Closed Cycle ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
Thermal Energy Conversion ◽  
Design Value ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy

An ocean-based, 1-MWe (gross) test plant has been planned to establish the feasibility of OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion) power generation in the revised Sunshine Project. The preliminary design of the proposed test plant employs a closed-cycle power system using ammonia as the working fluid on a barge-type platform with a rigid-arm-type, detachable, single-buoy mooring system. Two types each of titanium evaporators and condensers are to be included. The steel, cold-water pipe is suspended from the buoy. The design value of the ocean temperature difference is 20 K. The paper presents an overview of the preliminary design of the test plant and the tests to be conducted.

Mini-OTEC Operational Results

1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. L. Owens ◽  
L. C. Trimble
Keyword(s):  
Single Point ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Closed Cycle ◽  
Pumping Power ◽  
Thermal Energy Conversion ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy

The first at-sea ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power was produced by Mini-OTEC on Aug. 2, 1979. The powerplant was mounted on a barge located approximately 2.2 km off Keahole Point on the Kona Coast of Hawaii. Ammonia was employed as the working fluid in a closed-cycle (Rankine) powerplant, which produced approximately 50 kW of gross electrical power at an average seawater temperature difference of 21°C. Parasitic pumping power requirements for seawater and ammonia resulted in a net electrical power of approximately 15 kW. Cold seawater was drawn from a depth of approximately 670 m through a 0.61 m dia polyethylene pipe, which formed part of a single-point tension leg mooring system. The longest period of continuous operation was 10 days, terminated by the conclusion of the program on Nov. 18, 1979.

The Ocean Thermal Gradient Hydraulic Power Plant and Its Scope

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Earl J. Beck
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Thermal Gradient ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Hydraulic Power ◽  
Tropical Oceans ◽  
Thermal Energy Conversion ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Power Outputs ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy

Heretofore, the concept of developing power from the tropical oceans, (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, or OTEC) has assumed the mooring of large platforms holding the plants in deep water to secure the coldest possible condensing water. As the Ocean Thermal Gradient Hydraulic Power Plant (OTGHPP) does not depend, on the expansion of a working fluid, other than forming a foam of steam bubbles. It does not need extremely cold water as would be dictated by Carnot’s concept of efficiency and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Plants may be based on or near-shore on selected tropical islands, where cool but not extremely cold water may be available at moderate depths. This paper discusses the above possibilities and two possible plant locations, as well as projected power outputs. The location and utilization of large of amounts of power on isolated islands, where cabling of power to major population centers would not be feasible are discussed. Two that come to mind are the reduction of bauxite to produce aluminum and the of current interest is the electrolyzing of water to produce gaseous hydrogen fuel to be used in fuel cells, with oxygen as a by-product.

Design and Construction of an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Test Plant

1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. Trimble ◽  
R. L. Potash
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Seawater Temperature ◽  
Test Plant ◽  
Deep Seawater ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion ◽  
Thermal Energy Conversion ◽  
Power Plant Control ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy

Mini-OTEC, shown in Fig. 1, is the first at-sea, closed-loop Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system using surface and deep seawater to generate electric power. The Mini-OTEC cycle is installed on a moored barge incorporating the cold water pipe (CWP) in the single anchor leg. The design seawater temperature difference (ΔT) of 36°F provides thermal resource for a gross power output of 50 kW. This paper presents an overview of the Mini-OTEC project, including a description of the power plant, control system, instrumentation, and CWP mooring system.

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