Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system structure
Abstract
A generally mushroom-shaped, open cycle OTEC system and distilled water producer which has a skirt-conduit structure extending from the enlarged portion of the mushroom to the ocean. The enlarged part of the mushroom houses a toroidal casing flash evaporator which produces steam which expands through a vertical rotor turbine, partially situated in the center of the blossom portion and partially situated in the mushroom's stem portion. Upon expansion through the turbine, the motive steam enters a shell and tube condenser annularly disposed about the rotor axis and axially situated beneath the turbine in the stem portion. Relatively warm ocean water is circulated up through the radially outer skirt-conduit structure entering the evaporator through a radially outer portion thereof, flashing a portion thereof into motive steam, and draining the unflashed portion from the evaporator through a radially inner skirt-conduit structure. Relatively cold cooling water enters the annular condenser through the radially inner edge and travels radially outwardly into a channel situated along the radially outer edge of the condenser. The channel is also included in the radially inner skirt-conduit structure. The cooling water is segregated from the potable, motive steam condensate which can be used for human consumption or other processesmore »
- Inventors:
-
- West Goshen, PA
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 863605
- Patent Number(s):
- 4210820
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F03 - MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS F03G - SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- EG-77-C-03-1473
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- cycle; ocean; thermal; energy; conversion; structure; mushroom-shaped; otec; distilled; water; producer; skirt-conduit; extending; enlarged; portion; mushroom; houses; toroidal; casing; flash; evaporator; produces; steam; expands; vertical; rotor; turbine; partially; situated; center; blossom; expansion; motive; enters; shell; tube; condenser; annularly; disposed; axis; axially; beneath; relatively; warm; circulated; radially; outer; entering; flashing; draining; unflashed; inner; cold; cooling; annular; edge; travels; outwardly; channel; included; segregated; potable; condensate; human; consumption; processes; requiring; purity; converted; rotational; mechanical; expanded; shaft; attached; blades; drives; generator; producing; electrical; power; generation; equipment; arrangement; provides; compact; additional; benefits; obtained; fabricating; enclosing; housings; component; casings; density; materials; prestressed; concrete; permit; function; floating; support; vessel; motive steam; annularly disposed; ocean thermal; skirt-conduit structure; ocean water; rotor axis; producing electrical; relatively warm; turbine rotor; arrangement provides; outer portion; cooling water; electrical energy; thermal energy; energy conversion; power generation; radially outwardly; radially outward; radially inner; prestressed concrete; outer edge; radially outer; mechanical energy; additional benefits; relatively cold; warm ocean; inner edge; support vessel; enlarged portion; cycle ocean; distilled water; flash evaporator; compact power; /290/60/
Citation Formats
Wittig, J Michael. Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system structure. United States: N. p., 1980.
Web.
Wittig, J Michael. Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system structure. United States.
Wittig, J Michael. Tue .
"Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system structure". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/863605.
@article{osti_863605,
title = {Open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion system structure},
author = {Wittig, J Michael},
abstractNote = {A generally mushroom-shaped, open cycle OTEC system and distilled water producer which has a skirt-conduit structure extending from the enlarged portion of the mushroom to the ocean. The enlarged part of the mushroom houses a toroidal casing flash evaporator which produces steam which expands through a vertical rotor turbine, partially situated in the center of the blossom portion and partially situated in the mushroom's stem portion. Upon expansion through the turbine, the motive steam enters a shell and tube condenser annularly disposed about the rotor axis and axially situated beneath the turbine in the stem portion. Relatively warm ocean water is circulated up through the radially outer skirt-conduit structure entering the evaporator through a radially outer portion thereof, flashing a portion thereof into motive steam, and draining the unflashed portion from the evaporator through a radially inner skirt-conduit structure. Relatively cold cooling water enters the annular condenser through the radially inner edge and travels radially outwardly into a channel situated along the radially outer edge of the condenser. The channel is also included in the radially inner skirt-conduit structure. The cooling water is segregated from the potable, motive steam condensate which can be used for human consumption or other processes requiring high purity water. The expansion energy of the motive steam is partially converted into rotational mechanical energy of the turbine rotor when the steam is expanded through the shaft attached blades. Such mechanical energy drives a generator also included in the enlarged mushroom portion for producing electrical energy. Such power generation equipment arrangement provides a compact power system from which additional benefits may be obtained by fabricating the enclosing equipment, housings and component casings from low density materials, such as prestressed concrete, to permit those casings and housings to also function as a floating support vessel.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1980},
month = {1}
}