Design and cost study of critical OC-OTEC plant components: Final subcontract report

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6875107

Valenzuela, J A; Jasinski, T; Stacey, W D; Patel, B R; Dolan, F Y

During the FY 1983-84, system analysis studies were performed by the Florida Solar Energy Center and Creare Inc. to assess the economic and technological viability of the OC-OTEC concept for producing both electricity and fresh water on a small scale. A major conclusion of the study was that land-based OC-OTEC plants as small as 10 MWe may be economically feasible in island communities if cost credits are taken for the fresh water produced. The present study builds upon and extends the results of that work. Assess the effect of the seasonal variation in the ocean surface water temperature on the performance of OC-OTEC plants; evaluate the technical feasibility of building small scale OC-OTEC plants using existing low pressure steam turbine rotor designs; refine the plant structure model developed during the Phase I study; and develop background information and analyses to evaluate the various alternative strategies for handling noncondensible gases in OC-OTEC plants. Refinements in OC-OTEC plant performance and cost models performed during the present study have reduced the estimated cost of a 10 MW baseline plant from 99 to 72M$. Further cost reduction of 5 to 10M$ is anticipated from the revised structure cost model and the implementation of barometric leg deaeration and hydraulic compression. Therefore, the results from this study reinforce the earlier conclusion that small-scale OC-OTEC plants are competitive at present for the production of electricity and fresh water in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands. OC-OTEC represents a technology with significant potential. We recommend that it be aggressively pursued. 33 refs., 67 figs., 20 tabs.

• Research Organization: Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 6875107
• Report Number(s): SERI/STR-252-3246; ON: DE88001186
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
BUBBLES
CARIBBEAN SEA
COST
DESIGN
ELECTRIC POWER
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
GASES
ISLANDS
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEATION
OCEANIA
OPEN-CYCLE SYSTEMS
OPTIMIZATION
PROGRESS REPORT
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
STEAM TURBINES
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
TURBINE BLADES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
DOCUMENT TYPES
FLUIDS
MACHINERY
POWER
POWER PLANTS
SEAS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
VARIATIONS
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems