OTEC: solar energy from the sea. [Program and technology review]

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Quest; (United States)

OSTI ID:5779237

Douglass, Jr, R H

The principles and history of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) are discussed, along with U.S. and foreign OTEC programs, where all proposed OTEC plants use the Rankine cycle. Particular attention is given to OTEC components such as the mechanically durable 0.030 inch thick tube walls of the heat exchanger. The working fluid of modern closed cycle systems is ammonia, and mechanical cleaning and chlorination are used against biofouling. Heat exchanger types, including shell-and-tube, plate-fin, and trombone are considered, as well as the hull of the plant, its platform, sea water pumps, and differently designed cold water pipes. Moreover, computer models designed to study performance sensitivity to various operating parameters are discussed.

• Research Organization: TRW Defense and Space Systems Group, Systems Engineering and Integration Div., Redondo Beach, CA
• OSTI ID: 5779237
• Journal Information: Quest; (United States), Journal Name: Quest; (United States) Vol. 3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
AMMONIA
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATION
CLEANING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONVERSION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENGINEERING
FOULING
HALOGENATION
HAWAII
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OPTIMIZATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PIPES
POWER PLANTS
POWER SYSTEMS
RANKINE CYCLE
RANKINE CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS
SEAWATER
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SIMULATION
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
TURBOGENERATORS
USA
WATER
WESTERN REGION