Ocean thermal and current structures in the tropical South Atlantic relative to the placement of a grazing OTEC plant. Technical memo

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5861885

Molinari, R L; Chew, F

The results of the first stage of a multi-stage effort designed to provide ocean thermal and velocity data in the tropical South Atlantic for OTEC is presented. The tropical South Atlantic is one of several areas under consideration for placement of a grazing OTEC plant. In contrast to the moored OTEC plant, a grazing plant can take an active role in acquiring the thermal resource needed to drive the power plant. Because of the ability for self-propulsion, the data requirements for a grazing plant are somewhat different than those for a moored plant. In particular, data are required over a larger spatial area than those in the moored case with knowledge of the details of the horizontal distributions of temperature and velocity as important as data on the vertical distribution. These data requirements are reviewed, with particular reference given both to the importance of advection versus local heating effects in determining the thermal resource in the tropics, and how the relative importance of these effects impacts upon the OTEC operation.

• Research Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL (USA). Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Labs.
• OSTI ID: 5861885
• Report Number(s): PB-294232
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CURRENTS
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OCEANOGRAPHY
POWER PLANTS
SEAS
SITE SELECTION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS