Development of plastic heat exchangers for ocean thermal energy conversion. Final report, August 1976--December 1978
Materials and processes have been selected and design information obtained for plastic ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) heat exchangers as the result of a program comprising five types of laboratory experiments. Tests to evaluate the chemical resistance of seven commercially available thermoplastics to sea water and several possible working fluids were conducted with emphasis placed on compatibility with ammonia. Environmental rupture tests involving exposure of stressed specimens to sea water or liquid ammonia indicated that the high density polyethylene (HDPE) is the best suited candidate and produced an extrapolated 100,000 hour failure stress of 1060 psi for HDPE. Long term durability tests of extruded HDPE plate-tube panel confirmed that plastic heat transfer surface is mechanically reliable in an OTEC environment. Thermal conductivity measurements of acetylene black filled HDPE indicated that conductivity may be increased by 50% with a 35% by weight filler loading. The permeability coefficient measured for liquid ammonia through HDPE was higher than previous estimates. Test showed that the rate can be significantly reduced by sulfonation of HDPE. A review of biofouling mechanisms revealed that the permeable nature of the plastic heat exchanger surface may be used to control primary biofouling form formation by allowing incorporation of non-toxic organic repellents into the plastic. A preliminary design and fabrication development program suggests that construction of an ammonia condenser test unit is feasible using currently available materials and manufacturing techniques.
- Research Organization:
- DSS Engineers, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-05-5165
- OSTI ID:
- 5952444
- Report Number(s):
- ORO-5165-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
HEAT EXCHANGERS
MATERIALS
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
PLASTICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
AMMONIA
ANTIFOULANTS
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
COMPATIBILITY
DATA
FABRICATION
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
GRAPHS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL TESTS
PERMEABILITY
POLYETHYLENES
RUPTURES
SEAWATER
TENSILE PROPERTIES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMOPLASTICS
VAPOR CONDENSERS
WORKING FLUIDS
CONDENSERS
CONVERSION
DATA FORMS
ENERGY CONVERSION
FAILURES
FLUIDS
FOULING
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MATERIALS TESTING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
TESTING
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
WATER
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems
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