Ocean thermal energy conversion: Perspective and status

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6565360

Thomas, A; Hillis, D L

The use of the thermal gradient between the warm surface waters and the deep cold waters of tropical oceans was first proposed by J. A. d'Arsonval in 1881 and tried unsuccessfully be George Claude in 1930. Interest in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and other renewable energy sources revived in the 1970s as a result of oil embargoes. At that time, the emphasis was on large floating plants miles from shore producing 250--400 MW for maintained grids. When the problems of such plants became better understood and the price of oil reversed its upward trend, the emphasis shifted to smaller (10 MW) shore-based plants on tropical islands. Such plants would be especially attractive if they produce fresh water as a by-product. During the past 15 years, major progress has been made in converting OTEC unknowns into knowns. Mini-OTEC proved the closed-cycle concept. Cost-effective heat-exchanger concepts were identified. An effective biofouling control technique was discovered. Aluminum was determined to be promising for OTEC heat exchangers. Heat-transfer augmentation techniques were identified, which promised a reduction on heat-exchanger size and cost. Fresh water was produced by an OTEC open-cycle flash evaporator, using the heat energy in the seawater itself. The current R D emphasis is on the design and construction of a test facility to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the open-cycle process. The 10 MW shore-based, closed-cycle plant can be built with today's technology; with the incorporation of a flash evaporator, it will produce fresh water as well as electrical power -- both valuable commodities on many tropical islands. The open-cycle process has unknowns that require solution before the technical feasibility can be demonstrated. The economic viability of either cycle depends on reducing the capital costs of OTEC plants and on future trends in the costs of conventional energy sources. 7 refs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/CE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6565360
• Report Number(s): CONF-9009249-1; ON: DE90017665
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
ALUMINIUM
BIOLOGICAL FOULING
CONVERSION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FOULING
FRESH WATER
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEAWATER
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WATER