Research on the external fluid mechanics of ocean thermal energy conversion plants: report covering experiments in stagnant water

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5305009

Adams, E E; Fry, D J; Coxe, D H; Harleman, D R.F.

This report describes the first set of experiments in a physical model study to explore plume transport and recirculation potential for a range of generic Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant designs and ambient conditions. Tests were conducted in a thermally-stratified 12 m x 18 m x 0.6 m basin, at an undistorted length scale ratio of 1:300, which allowed the upper 180 m of the ocean to be studied. Measurements included temperature, dye concentration and visual observations from still photographs. Conditions which have been tested include a range of plant sizes (nominally 200 MWe - 600 MWe), a range of discharge configurations (mixed vs. non-mixed evaporator and condenser flows; multiple vs. radial slot discharge port(s); variation of discharge-intake separation and variation of discharge angle), and a range of ambient density profiles (characterized by the depth of the surface mixed layer). The tests described are for a stagnant ambient ocean. Results have shown no significant recirculation for plant sizes up to 400 MWe for discharges directed either horizontally or with a downward component. However, significant recirculation was observed in a test of a 400 MWe plant in which the discharge was directed with a slight upward component and in a test of 600 MWe plant with a horizontal discharge. No significant difference in recirculation could be discerned between the mixed and the non-mixed discharge designs. Measurements of minimum plume dilution taken at approximately 1 km (prototype) from the plant generally fell in the range of 5 to 10 with a mean value of 7.4. This indicates that peak concentrations of any chemicals contained in the discharge would be about 14% of the discharge concentration. Other information, such as the plume shape and equilibrium position, intake temperature changes and perturbations to the ambient ocean profile, are included for each run.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Ralph M. Parsons Lab. for Water Resources and Hydrodynamics
• OSTI ID: 5305009
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/20483-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
CIRCULATING SYSTEMS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DENSITY
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID MECHANICS
GRAPHS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INTAKE STRUCTURES
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MECHANICS
MIXING
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OUTLET STRUCTURES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
SCALE MODELS
SEAWATER
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
STRATIFICATION
TABLES
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMAL EFFLUENTS
WATER