Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system

Patent · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:863502

Wittig, J Michael ^[1]

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1. West Goshen, PA

An improved open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system including a flash evaporator for vaporizing relatively warm ocean surface water and an axial flow, elastic fluid turbine having a vertical shaft and axis of rotation. The warm ocean water is transmitted to the evaporator through a first prestressed concrete skirt-conduit structure circumferentially situated about the axis of rotation. The unflashed warm ocean water exits the evaporator through a second prestressed concrete skirt-conduit structure located circumferentially about and radially within the first skirt-conduit structure. The radially inner surface of the second skirt conduit structure constitutes a cylinder which functions as the turbine's outer casing and obviates the need for a conventional outer housing. The turbine includes a radially enlarged disc element attached to the shaft for supporting at least one axial row of radially directed blades through which the steam is expanded. A prestressed concrete inner casing structure of the turbine has upstream and downstream portions respectively situated upstream and downstream from the disc element. The radially outer surfaces of the inner casing portions and radially outer periphery of the axially interposed disc cooperatively form a downwardly radially inwardly tapered surface. An annular steam flowpath of increasing flow area in the downward axial direction is radially bounded by the inner and outer prestressed concrete casing structures. The inner casing portions each include a transversely situated prestressed concrete circular wall for rotatably supporting the turbine shaft and associated structure. The turbine blades are substantially radially coextensive with the steam flowpath and receive steam from the evaporator through an annular array of prestressed concrete stationary vanes which extend between the inner and outer casings to provide structural support therefor and impart a desired flow direction to the steam.

• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4189647
• OSTI ID: 863502
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/290/60/
annular
annular array
annular steam
array
associated
associated structure
attached
axial
axial direction
axial flow
axially
axis
blades
bounded
casing
casings
circular
circular wall
circumferentially
coextensive
concrete
conduit
constitutes
conventional
conversion
cooperatively
cycle
cycle ocean
cylinder
desired
desired flow
directed
direction
disc
downstream
downward
downwardly
elastic
element
element attached
energy
energy conversion
enlarged
evaporator
exits
expanded
extend
flash
flash evaporator
flow
flow direction
flowpath
fluid
form
functions
housing
impart
improved
including
increasing
inner
inner surface
interposed
inwardly
located
obviates
ocean
ocean surface
ocean thermal
ocean water
outer
outer casing
outer housing
outer periphery
outer surface
outer surfaces
periphery
portions
prestressed
prestressed concrete
provide
radially
radially directed
radially inner
radially inward
radially inwardly
radially outer
receive
relatively
relatively warm
respectively
rotatably
rotatably supporting
rotation
row
shaft
situated
skirt
skirt-conduit
skirt-conduit structure
stationary
stationary vane
steam
steam flow
structural
structural support
structure
structure located
structures
substantially
substantially radial
support
supporting
surface
surface water
surfaces
tapered
tapered surface
thermal
thermal energy
transmitted
transversely
turbine
turbine blade
turbine blades
unflashed
upstream
vanes
vaporizing
vertical
vertical shaft
wall
warm
warm ocean
water