INTRODUCTION
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a marine renewable energy technology that
converts solar radiation to electrical power by using the temperature difference between deep
cold ocean water and warm tropical surface water.
Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface and captures a large part of the sun’s heat,
making it the world’s largest solar energy collector.
HISTORY
In 1881, Jacques Arsene d’ Arsonval, a French physicist discovered tapping thermal energy of
the ocean.
Georges Claude, built the first OTEC plant in Cuba in 1920.
Tokyo Electric Power Company built and deployed a 120 kW closed-cycle OTEC plant in 1981 on
the Nauru island near south pacific ocean.
In 2002, India successfully tested a 1MW OTEC plant near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
OCEAN THERMAL
ENERGY CONVERSION
A process that can generate electricity by
using the heat energy stored in the earth’s
oceans.
Can produce electrical energy from the
temperature difference between the deep
cold ocean water and warm tropical surface
waters.
Work in temperature under 36 degrees
Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius.
According to Ocean Energy Systems (OES), as of 2018 there are:
• 5 operational power plants
• 3 under in construction phase
• 4 planned and,
• 11 proposed power plants.
Types of OTEC System
I. Closed-Cycle or Anderson OTEC cycle.
II. Open-Cycle or Claude OTEC cycle.
III. Hybrid System.
+ Closed-Cycle or Anderson OTEC cycle.
In the closed cycle, a working fluid, such
as ammonia, is pumped through a heat
exchanger (evaporator) and vaporized.
This vaporized steam spins the turbine.
The clod water found at the depths of the
ocean condense the vapor back to the a
fluid where it returns to the heat
exchanger (condenser).
Evaporated fluids expands in turbine,
which runs a generator to produce power.
Boiling point of ammonia is (-33 degree
Celsius).
+ Open-Cycle or Claude OTEC cycle.
In the open cycle, the sea water is itself
used to generate heat without any kind of
intermediate fluid.
Warm seawater is expanded rapidly in a
vacuum chamber where some of it
‘flashes’ to steam.
This steam is used to drive a steam
turbines.
From the exhaust of the turbines, the
vapor is condensed using cold seawater.
Vapor expands and spins a turbine
coupled to a turbo-generator to produce
current.
+ Hybrid System.
A hybrid cycle combines the features of
the closed and open-cycle system.
Warm seawater enters a vacuum
chamber and is flash-evaporated, similar
to the open-cycle evaporation process.
The steam vaporizes ammonia, working
fluid of closed-cycle on the other side of
an ammonia vaporizer.
Vaporized fluid drives a turbine to produce
electrical power.
This fluid leaves the condenser and is
pumped to the evaporator to repeat the
cycle.
Two kinds of OTEC power plants:
+ Floating Power Plants or sea-based.
+ Land-based.
Note: both Sea and Land based power plants works almost the same.
BENEFITS
Economic benefits:
Continuous supply of electricity throughout the year.
Reduced capital expense to power company.
Life cycle cost saving.
Environmental benefits:
Reduces dependence on fossil fuel.
Zero emissions and its saves nearly 7000 tons carbon dioxide a year per MW.
CONCLUSION
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a potential source of renewable
energy. This alternative energy resource can provide continuous power source that can
be sustained all year round. Clean energy resource, and environmentally sustainable.
Since OTEC can produce billions of watts of electrical energy, this might be one way to
address the current energy issues the world is facing such energy security, price volatility,
unsustainable supply and climate change. If proper research and development is carried
on this field we can satisfactorily fulfil the needs of the people and reduce our dependence
on fossil fuels which contributes a large part of our energy requirement but is bound to be
exhausted in a few years.
