Environmental programs for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6277730

Wilde, P

The environmental research effort in support of the US Department of Energy's Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) program has the goal of providing documented information on the effect of proposed operations on the ocean and the effect of oceanic conditions on the plant. The associated environment program consists of archival studies in potential areas serial oceanographic cruises to sites or regions of interest, studies from various fixed platforms at sites, and compilation of such information for appropriate legal compliance and permit requirements and for use in progressive design of OTEC plants. Site/regions investigated are south of Mobile and west of Tampa, Gulf of Mexico; Punta Tuna, Puerto Rico; St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Kahe Point, Oahu and Keahole Point, Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands; and off the Brazilian south Equatorial Coast. Four classes of environmental concerns identified are: redistribution of oceanic properties (ocean water mixing, impingement/entrainment etc.); chemical pollution (biocides, working fluid leaks, etc.); structural effects (artificial reef, aggregation, nesting/migration, etc.); socio-legal-economic (worker safety, enviromaritime law, etc.).

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6277730
• Report Number(s): LBL-12977; CONF-810911-2; ON: DE81028876
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
520500 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AGGLOMERATION
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BRAZIL
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONVERSION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENTRAINMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GREATER ANTILLES
GULF OF MEXICO
HAWAII
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IMPINGEMENT
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
ISLANDS
LATIN AMERICA
LESSER ANTILLES
MIGRATION
MIXING
NORTH AMERICA
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PUERTO RICO
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEAS
SEAWATER
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOUTH AMERICA
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VIRGIN ISLANDS
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WESTERN REGION