Scribd
Upload
53 views

Ocean Thermal Energy: Submitted To DR - Harmeet Kaur

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between warm surface waters and cooler deep ocean waters to run a heat engine and generate electricity. The largest temperature difference, and therefore greatest potential for OTEC, exists in tropical oceans where the difference can be 20-25°C. OTEC plants can provide baseload power and have the potential to generate 10-100 times more energy than other ocean power sources like waves. Byproducts include cold water that can be used for air conditioning and refrigeration, as well as fresh water distilled from seawater. While OTEC is a clean, renewable source, current plant designs require very large and expensive cold water pipes for transporting deep seawater.

Uploaded by

Amitpal Singh Cheema
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
53 views

Ocean Thermal Energy: Submitted To DR - Harmeet Kaur

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between warm surface waters and cooler deep ocean waters to run a heat engine and generate electricity. The largest temperature difference, and therefore greatest potential for OTEC, exists in tropical oceans where the difference can be 20-25°C. OTEC plants can provide baseload power and have the potential to generate 10-100 times more energy than other ocean power sources like waves. Byproducts include cold water that can be used for air conditioning and refrigeration, as well as fresh water distilled from seawater. While OTEC is a clean, renewable source, current plant designs require very large and expensive cold water pipes for transporting deep seawater.

Uploaded by

Amitpal Singh Cheema
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

Ocean thermal energy

Submitted to;
Dr.HARMEET KAUR

SUBMITTED BY:
AMITPAL SINGH
80103320083
Ocean thermal energy conversion uses the difference between
cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface ocean waters to
run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the form
of electricity.

A heat engine gives greater efficiency and power when run with a large
temperature difference. In the oceans the temperature difference between
surface and deep water is greatest in the tropics, although still a modest
20oC to 25oC. It is therefore in the tropics that OTEC offers the greatest
possibilities. OTEC has the potential to offer global amounts of energy
that are 10 to 100 times greater than other ocean energy options such as
wave . OTEC plants can operate continuously providing a base load supply
for an electrical power generation system.
OTEC can also supply quantities of cold water as a by-product . This can
be used for air conditioning and refrigeration and the fertile deep ocean
water can feed biological technologies. Another by-product is fresh water
distilled from the sea.
ADVANTAGES OF OTEC
OTEC uses clean, abundant, renewable and natural resources
to produce electricity.
Research indicates that there are little or no adverse
environmental effects from discharging
the used OTEC water back to the ocean at prescribed depths.
As well as producing
electricity, OTEC systems can produce fresh water and cold
water for agricultural and
cooling purposes. The use of OTEC also assists in reducing
the dependence on fossil fuels
to produce electricity.
DISADVANTAGES OF OTEC
One of the disadvantages of land-based OTEC plants is the need
for a 3 km long cold water
pipe to transport the large volumes of deep seawater required from
a depth of about 1000
m. The cost associated with the cold water pipe represents 75% of
the costs of current plant
designs. Studies show that OTEC plants smaller than 50 MW
cannot compete economically
with other present energy alternatives. A 50 MW plant will require
150 m3/s of cold water
thus, the 3 km long cold water pipeline has to be at least 8 m in
diameter.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND NEED OF
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
Since Jacques D’Arsonval’s idea of tapping the thermal energy of
the ocean in 1881, OTEC
system development ranges from a 22 kW, gross power, plant in
1930 to a record 255 kW,
gross power (103 kW, net power) plant which also produces 23
liters (6 gallons) of
desalinated water per minute.

The State of Madras, India has build and test a 1


MW floating plant offshore. The
Sea Solar Power Inc. of USA proposed some 100
MW floating plants around the world
Types of cycle

Open
Close
Hybrid
Working fluids
Land based and floating
Closed cycle
Closed-cycle systems use fluid with a low boiling point, such as ammonia,
to power a turbine to generate electricity. Warm surface seawater is
pumped through a heat exchanger to vaporize the fluid. The expanding
vapor turns the turbo-generator. Cold water, pumped through a second hea
exchanger, condenses the vapor into a liquid, which is then recycled
through the system.
Open cycle

Open-cycle OTEC uses warm surface water directly to make electricity.


Placing warm seawater in a low-pressure container causes it to boil. The
expanding steam drives a low-pressure turbine attached to an electrical
generator. The steam, which has left its salt and other contaminants in the
low-pressure container, is pure fresh water. It is condensed into a liquid by
exposure to cold temperatures from deep-ocean water. This method
produces desalinized fresh water, suitable for drinking water or irrigation.
Hybrid cycle

A hybrid cycle combines the features of the closed- and open-cycle


systems. In a hybrid, warm seawater enters a vacuum chamber and is
flash-evaporated, similar to the open-cycle evaporation process. The steam
vaporizes the ammonia working fluid of a closed-cycle loop on the other
side of an ammonia vaporizer. The vaporized fluid then drives a turbine to
produce electricity.
Land based

Land-based and near-shore facilities offer three main advantages over


those located in deep water. Plants constructed on or near land do not
require sophisticated mooring, lengthy power cables, or the more extensive
maintenance associated with open-ocean environments. They can be
installed in sheltered areas so that they are relatively safe from storms and
heavy seas.
FLOATING

Floating OTEC facilities operate off-shore. Although potentially optimal


for large systems, floating facilities present several difficulties. The
difficulty of mooring plants in very deep water complicates power
delivery. Cables attached to floating platforms are more susceptible to
damage, especially during storms. Cables at depths greater than 1000
meters are difficult to maintain and repair.
Thank you

You might also like