Technical developments of OTEC Systems

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6628021

Trenka, A R; Thomas, A; Vega, L

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Ocean Energy Technology Program seeks to develop the technology of converting the ocean's vast energy resource into usable forms to the point where industry can assess its potential, commercial utility. The current focus in the program is on the utilization of open-cycle OTEC to produce electricity. The open-cycle OTEC process is one of the few alternative energy options which provides the potential for baseload-carrying capability. This paper provides a very brief overview of the program activities and focuses on results recently obtained from the program's experimental facility designed to allow testing of OC-OTEC subsystems under actual operating conditions utilizing seawater. The facility, referred to as the Seacoast Test Facility (STF), is currently composed of a Heat and Mass Transfer Scoping Test Apparatus (HMTSTA) being supplied by up to 1600 gallons per minute of warm seawater and 1000 gallons per minute of cold seawater. Researchers have obtained experimental data on the performance of evaporators and surface condensers. Also, information on mist elimination and deaeration processes have been obtained. Plans call for modification to the HMTSTA to accommodate the addition of direct-contact condensers. Summary results will be discussed addressing recent studies, by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), of corrosion and biofouling of aluminum alloy surface condensers. Also discussed is the production of desalinated seawater using an open-cycle OTEC process. Finally to be discussed will be recent developments in OTEC turbines and an assessment of seawater supply systems required for OTEC. A brief overview of the program's future plans also will be presented. 4 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6628021
• Report Number(s): CONF-880932-4; ON: DE89004275
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONVERSION
CORROSION
DEMINERALIZATION
DESALINATION
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVAPORATORS
HEAT TRANSFER
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
MACHINERY
MASS TRANSFER
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY