OTEC plant response and control analysis

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3266304· OSTI ID:6059444

Owens, W L

An analysis is presented which allows prediction of closed-cycle OTEC power plant system response and control. Two basic operational control schemes are presented, which are primarily related to the type of seawater pumps employed. Variable flow seawater pumps allow optimization of the OTEC thermal-cycle state points for maximization of net generated power. Constant flow pumps are cheaper and simpler, but do not allow direct control over the evaporator and condenser operating temperatures. A system of nonlinear differential equations representing the basic elements of a constant seawater flow OTEC plant with turbine bypass flow control has been formulated for computer solution. Typical normalized response curves are presented for pressures, temperatures, mass flow rates, and generator speed for a small-scale, 50-kW OTEC plant design.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Ocean Systems, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
• OSTI ID: 6059444
• Journal Information: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States), Vol. 104:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
FLOW RATE
FLOW REGULATORS
NET ENERGY
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OPTIMIZATION
POWER RANGE 10-100 KW
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
PUMPS
SEAWATER
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
VELOCITY
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CONVERSION
ENERGY
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WATER
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems