Compact heat exchangers for sea thermal power plants. Final technical progress report, May 1, 1977--March 31, 1978

Technical Report · Fri Mar 31 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6322886· OSTI ID:6322886

The investigative studies required to develop a low cost, high performance flat plate heat exchanger design suitable for sea thermal power plants are covered. The studies indicate that higher boiling transfer coefficients quoted in the literature can be attained in a flat plate exchanger. The study has examined the effect of various fouling rates. A cleaning concept is proposed that is simple, high speed and easy to operate without plant or exchanger shutdown during the cleaning process. The exchanger concept for both boilers and condensers is a low profile, mechanical assembled structure with no welding, soldering, or brazing required. The exchanger design has been evaluated for manufacturability and ease of shipping, installation, and maintenance in a power plant. A preliminary arrangement for exchangers of this construction in a full scale power plant has been examined to provide confidence that the design would be usable in such a plant. Computer programs have been written to optimize design conditions for boilers and condensers in a power plant, recognizing costs of exchangers, cost of warm and cold water, water pumping power and effect of cycle efficiency. After optimizing design conditions a conceptual design has been prepared for a test boiler and a test condenser, suitable for testing in the Argonne test facility. A detailed design for a smaller test unit has been prepared. The Argonne test element will use ammonia as the working fluid. The smaller test unit will use R-22.

• Research Organization: Sea Solar Power, Inc., York, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EG-77-C-02-4300
• OSTI ID: 6322886
• Report Number(s): COO-4300-7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
DESIGN
OPTIMIZATION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
AMMONIA
BOILING
COMPUTER CODES
FOULING
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
REFRIGERANTS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
FLUIDS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POWER PLANTS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
140800* - Solar Energy- Ocean Energy Systems