Comparison of limited measurements of the OTEC-1 plume with analytical-model predictions

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5989249· OSTI ID:5989249

Paddock, R. A.; Ditmars, J. D.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) requires significant amounts of warm surface waters and cold deep waters for power production. Because these waters are returned to the ocean as effluents, their behavior may affect plant operation and impact the environment. The OTEC-1 facility tested 1-MWe heat exchangers aboard the vessel Ocean Energy Converter moored off the island of Hawaii. The warm and cold waters used by the OTEC-1 facility were combined prior to discharge from the vessel to create a mixed discharge condition. A limited field survey of the mixed discharge plume using fluorescent dye as a tracer was conducted on April 11, 1981, as part of the environmental studies at OTEC-1 coordinated by the Marine Sciences Group at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Results of that survey were compared with analytical model predictions of plume behavior. Although the predictions were in general agreement with the results of the plume survey, inherent limitations in the field measurements precluded complete description of the plume or detailed evaluation of the models.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5989249
• Report Number(s): ANL/OTEC-EV-1; ON: DE82003917
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
AMINES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CURRENTS
DYES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FIELD TESTS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
REAGENTS
RHODAMINES
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SURVEYS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WATER CURRENTS
WIND