Studies of biofouling in ocean thermal energy conversion plants

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:6324925

Fetkovich, J. G.; Grannemann, G. N.; Mahalingam, L. M.; Meier, D. L.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plants will require large heat exchangers carrying immense quantities of seawater. The inevitable biofouling of the heat transfer surfaces will rapidly reduce the efficiency of such plants below acceptable levels unless suitable measures are taken. A group at Carnegie-Mellon University, in collaboration with one at the University of Hawaii, has begun a study, in the waters off Keahole Point, on the Big Island of Hawaii, of the problem of biofouling in simulated heat exchanger tubes under OTEC conditions. One series of experiments was conducted with the apparatus mounted on a moored boat in the interval July--September 1976. In these experiments, water was pumped up to the apparatus from a depth of 20 feet. The tube was 1'' ID aluminum, 8-1/2 feet long. Studies were conducted at nominal flow velocities of 3 and 6 feet per second. At present a second series of experiments is underway. In these, the apparatus is mounted on a submarine buoy at a depth of about 50 feet. Three experiments are in progress. Two of these nominally duplicate the conditions described above. In the third, a similar titanium tube is being used at a velocity of about 6 feet per second. The apparatus and methods being used are briefly described, and the conditions of the experiments are discussed in detail. The results of the analysis of the first series of experiments are also presented and discussed. All available preliminary results from the second series are also presented.

• Research Organization: Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Dept. of Physics; Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
• OSTI ID: 6324925
• Report Number(s): COO-4041-T5; CONF-770331-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
ANALOG SYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
FOULING
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HAWAII
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
SEAWATER
SIMULATION
SIMULATORS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
USA
WATER
WESTERN REGION