Technical developments of OTEC Systems
The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Ocean Energy Technology Program seeks to develop the technology of converting the ocean's vast energy resource into usable forms to the point where industry can assess its potential, commercial utility. The current focus in the program is on the utilization of open-cycle OTEC to produce electricity. The open-cycle OTEC process is one of the few alternative energy options which provides the potential for baseload-carrying capability. This paper provides a very brief overview of the program activities and focuses on results recently obtained from the program's experimental facility designed to allow testing of OC-OTEC subsystems under actual operating conditions utilizing seawater. The facility, referred to as the Seacoast Test Facility (STF), is currently composed of a Heat and Mass Transfer Scoping Test Apparatus (HMTSTA) being supplied by up to 1600 gallons per minute of warm seawater and 1000 gallons per minute of cold seawater. Researchers have obtained experimental data on the performance of evaporators and surface condensers. Also, information on mist elimination and deaeration processes have been obtained. Plans call for modification to the HMTSTA to accommodate the addition of direct-contact condensers. Summary results will be discussed addressing recent studies, by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), of corrosion and biofouling of aluminum alloy surface condensers. Also discussed is the production of desalinated seawater using an open-cycle OTEC process. Finally to be discussed will be recent developments in OTEC turbines and an assessment of seawater supply systems required for OTEC. A brief overview of the program's future plans also will be presented. 4 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6628021
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880932-4; ON: DE89004275
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International renewable energy conference, Honolulu, HI, USA, 18 Sep 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Preliminary experimental studies with seawater on OTEC spout evaporator thermal effectiveness and phase transition in upcomer
Conceptual design of an open-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion net power-producing experiment (OC-OTEC NPPE)
Related Subjects
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
CORROSION
DESALINATION
EVAPORATORS
HEAT TRANSFER
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
MASS TRANSFER
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
TURBINES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONVERSION
DEMINERALIZATION
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
MACHINERY
POWER PLANTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBOMACHINERY
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems