Ocean Thermal Energy

Conversion (OTEC)

Dondee S. Alejandro
ME 188 THRU
Outline
• Objectives
• Definition
• Significance
• Functions
• Power Plant Applications
• Schematic and Property Diagrams
• States, Processes and Equations
• Sample Problem
• Improvements
Definition
• Indirect way of harnessing solar
energy by utilizing the temperature
difference between the sun-heated
water surface and the deep cold ocean
water
• A type of renewable source of energy
• Applicable in tropical areas
• Temperature differences between the surface and
deep sea water in regions of the world
• The darkest area are the best for OTEC system
Image source: http://www.curry.eas.gatech.edu/Courses/6140/ency/Chapter2/Ency_Oceans/OTEC.pdf
Objectives
• To familiarize and understand the
concept of Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion (OTEC)
• To understand the different types of
OTEC
• To be able to analyse and solve problems
related to OTEC
• To discuss improvements/modifications
to the current OTEC system
Significance
• Free and renewable energy source
• Pollution Free
• Can provide a continuous source of
energy
• Can offer other products such as
desalinated water
Functions

Image source: http://www.otecnews.org/what-is-otec/

Functions
1. Energy conversion
• The primary
function of an
OTEC system is
to convert the
temperature
difference of the
ocean surface
and the ocean
depth
Image source: https://www.makai.com/ocean-thermal-energy-conversion/
Functions
2. Fresh Water
• Condensate of the open system is
desalinated water applicable for human
consumption and agriculture
• OTEC-produced fresh water compares very
favourably with standard desalination plants,
in terms of both quality and production
costs.
Functions
3. Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
• The cold deep sea water can be used t
maintain cold storage spaces and provide air
conditioning
• The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii
Authority (NELHA) has air-conditioned its
buildings by passing the cold seawater
through heat exhangers
Functions
4. Mariculture
• Cold deep ocean waters are rich in nutrients and
low in pathogens, and therefore provide an
excellent medium for cultivation of marine
organism
• Cold water is discharged into large contained
ponds, near shore or on land, where the water
can be used for multi-species mariculture
producing harvest yields which far surpass
naturally occurring cold water upwelling zones
Functions
5. Agriculture
• Fresh water by-product of the OTEC system
can be used in irrigation systems
• Researchers in University of Hawaii proposed
that burying pipes with cold water from
ocean can create a cool weather condition
not available in tropical areas
Power Plant Applications

Image source: https://www.makai.com/ocean-thermal-energy-conversion/

 Power Plant Applications
• Closed Cycle • Adapted from the
Rankine cycle
• Heat source for the
evaporator is the warm
surface water
• Heat is rejected to the
deep cold ocean water
• Uses low boiling point
working fluid such as
ammonia
Image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWjQ1hYVmXo
 Power Plant Applications
• Open Cycle
• Uses sea water as working fluid
• Produces vapor by exposing the liquid
to pressure below the saturation
pressure corresponding to its
temperature
• Vapor produced in the flash evaporator
is relatively pure steam
• Produces desalinated water as by-
product
Image Source: http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2003.web.dir/Yevette_Lancaster/OTEC.htm
 Power Plant Applications
• Hybrid Cycle
• Combination of Close cycle and
Open Cycle
• There is a risk of leakage of
ammonia to the desalinated
water

Image Source: http://earthsci.org/mineral/energy/wavpwr/wavepwr.html

Advantages
• Power from OTEC is continuous, renewable and pollution free
• Unlike other forms of solar energy, output of OTEC shows very little daily
or seasonal variation.
• Drawing of warm and cold sea water and returning of the sea water,
close to the thermocline, could be accomplished with minimum
environment impact.
• Electric power generated by OTEC could be used to produce hydrogen.
• Tropical and sub-tropical island sites could be made free from pollution
caused by conventional fuels for electricity generation.
• OTEC system might help in enrichment of fishing grounds due to the
nutrients from the unproductive deep waters to the warmer surface
waters.
• A floating OTEC plant can generate power even at mid sea and can be
used to provide power for off shore mining and processing of
manganese nodules.
• Can have many Spin-off Industries
Disadvantages
• Capital investment is very high
• Due to small temperature difference in between the
surface water and deep water, conversion efficiency is
very low about 6-11%
• Low efficiency of these plants coupled with high capital
cost and maintenance cost makes them uneconomical
for small plants
• Political Concerns
• . Large-scale onshore OTEC plants could have a
considerable environmental impact on shorelines,
which are often home to fragile, already threatened
ecosystems such as mangroves and coral reefs.
Schematic and Property
Diagrams
 Closed Cycle (Schematic Diagram)

Image Source: http://solarenergyengineering.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1674782

 Closed Cycle (T-s Diagram)

Image Source: http://solarenergyengineering.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1674782

Open Cycle (Schematic Diagram)

Image Source: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8008739/

Open Cycle (T-s Diagram)

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Otec_oc_t-s_dia.jpg

States and Processes
Close Cycle States

1 - Saturated vapor
2 - Two-phase
3 - Saturated liquid
4 - Subcooled liquid
Closed Cycle Processes

Initial Two Process Condition Final Parameters

State Independent State
Parameters
1 T1 X1 = 1 Expansion Adiabatic 2 T2 S2 = S 1
Isentropic
Reversible
2 T2 S2 = S 1 Heat Rejection Isobaric 3 T3=T2 X3 = 0

3 T3 X3 = 0 Compression Adiabatic 4 P4=P1 S4 = S 3

Isentropic
Reversible
4 P4 S4 = S 3 Heat Addition Isobaric 1 T1 X1 = 1
 Equations (Closed Cycle)
Turbine work:
𝑤𝑇 = ℎ1 – ℎ2
Heat rejected:
| 𝑞𝑅 | = ℎ2 – ℎ3
Pump work:
| 𝑤𝑝 | = ℎ4 – ℎ3
| 𝑤𝑝 | = (𝑣3 )(𝑃4 – 𝑃3 )
Net work:
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑤𝑇 − 𝑤𝑝
= (ℎ1 – ℎ2) – (ℎ4 – ℎ3)

wnet (h1  h2 )  (h4  h3 )

Thermal efficiency: th  
qA (h1  h4 )
𝑇5 −𝑇7
Carnot Efficiency: 𝜂𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 =
𝑇5
Open Cycle States

1 – Saturated liquid
2 – Two-phase Mixture
3 – Saturated vapor
4 – Saturated liquid
5 – Two-phase Mixture
6 – Saturated liquid
7 – Saturated liquid
 Open Cycle Processes
Initial State Two Independent Process Condition Final Parameters
Parameters State

1 T1 X1 = 1 Throttling Adiabatic 2 T2 P2

2 T2 P2 Flash Separation Isobaric 4 T4 X4 = 1

2 T2 P2 Flash Separation Isobaric 3 T3 X3 = 0

3 T3 X3 = 0 Expansion Adiabatic 5 T5 S5 = S3
Isentropic
Reversible
5 T5 S5 = S3 Heat Rejection Isobaric 6 T6 X6 = 0
Equations (Open Cycle)
Turbine work:
𝑤𝑇 = ℎ3 – ℎ5
Heat rejected:
| 𝑞𝑅 | = ℎ5 – ℎ6
Pump work:
| 𝑤𝑝 | = (ℎ6 – ℎ7 ) + (ℎ1 − ℎ2 )
Net work:
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑤𝑇 − 𝑤𝑝
= (ℎ1 – ℎ2) – [(ℎ6 – ℎ7 ) + (ℎ1 − ℎ2 )]

𝑇1 −𝑇7
Carnot Efficiency: 𝜂𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 =
𝑇7
Sample Problem
Bouy number 51003 of the National Data Bouy
Center is located off the coast of Hawaii. The
warm surface water is recorded to be 26.9°C. The
depth at this location is recorded to be 4,919
meters deep. The temperature of this water at
1000 meters deep is said to be 5°C. We will
examine the system and find the cycle’s efficiency
and Carnot efficiency and compare the two for
analysis. (From: Principle and Preliminary
Calculation of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
by Walter Engels and Farshid Zabihian, ASEE 2014
Zone I Conference, April 3-5, 2014, University of
Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT, USA)
Given
• 𝑇3 = 5°𝐶 = 41°𝐹
• 𝑇1 = 26.9°𝐶 = 80.42 °𝐹
• Working Fluid: Ammonia
• Assume Ideal Case
Required
• Turbine work:
𝑤𝑇 = ℎ1 – ℎ2
• Heat rejected:
| 𝑞𝑅 | = ℎ2 – ℎ3
• Pump work:
| 𝑤𝑝 | = ℎ4 – ℎ3 = (𝑣3 )(𝑃4 – 𝑃3 )
• Net work:
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑤𝑇 − 𝑤𝑝
• Cycle Efficiency:
wnet (h1  h2 )  (h4  h3 )
 th  
qA (h1  h4 )
• Carnot Efficiency:
𝑇4 − 𝑇3
𝜂𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 =
𝑇4
Solution
• State 1 (𝑇1 = 26.9 °𝐶, 𝑥1 = 1)
𝑃1 = 1064.79 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑘𝐽
ℎ1 = 1484.359
𝑘𝑔
𝑘𝐽
𝑠1 = 5.2964
𝑘𝑔∙𝐾
Solution
• State 2 (𝑇2 = 5°𝐶, 𝑠2 = 𝑠1 )
𝑘𝐽
𝑠2 = 5.2964
𝑘𝑔∙𝐾
 Saturated Mixture
𝑠2 = 𝑠𝑓2 + 𝑥2 𝑠𝑓𝑔2
𝑠2 −𝑠𝑓2 5.2964−1.08353
𝑥2 = = = 0.94227
𝑠𝑔2 −𝑠𝑓2 5.5545−1.08353
ℎ2 = ℎ𝑓2 + 𝑥2 ℎ𝑓𝑔2
ℎ2 = 223.185 + 0.94227(1466.84 − 223.185)
𝑘𝐽
ℎ2 = 1395.046328
𝑘𝑔
Solution
• State 3 (𝑇3 = 5 °𝐶, 𝑥1 =0)
𝑃3 = 516.87 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑘𝐽
ℎ3 = 223.185
𝑘𝑔
𝐿
𝑣3 = 1.5931
𝑘𝑔
Solution
• State 4 (𝑃4 = 𝑃1 , 𝑥1 =0)
𝑃4 = 1064.79 𝑘𝑃𝑎
ℎ4 − ℎ3 = 𝑣3 𝑃4 − 𝑃3
𝑣3 𝑃4 − 𝑃3
ℎ4 = ℎ3 +
𝐽
1.5931(1064.79 − 516.87)
ℎ4 = 223.185 +
1000
𝑘𝐽
ℎ4 = 224.0578914
𝑘𝑔
Solution
• Turbine work:
𝑤𝑇 = ℎ1 – ℎ2 = 1484.359 − 1395.046328
𝑘𝐽
𝑤𝑇 = 89.315372
𝑘𝑔
• Heat rejected:
𝑞𝑅 = ℎ2 – ℎ3 = 1359.046328 − 223.185
𝑘𝐽
𝑞𝑅 = 1171.858528
𝑘𝑔
• Pump work:
𝑣3 𝑃4 – 𝑃3 1.5931(1064.79−516.87)
| 𝑤𝑝 | = =
1000 1000
𝑘𝐽
𝑤𝑝 = 0.87289
𝑘𝑔
Solution
• Net work:
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑤𝑇 − 𝑤𝑝 = 89.315372 − 0.87289
𝑘𝐽
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 88.44248065
𝑘𝑔
• Cycle Efficiency:
∆𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 88.44248065
𝜂𝑡ℎ = =
𝑞𝐴 1484.359 − 224.0578914
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 7.018 %
• Carnot Efficiency:
𝑇4 − 𝑇3 29.6 + 273.15 − (5 + 273.15)
𝜂𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 = =
𝑇4 29.6 + 273.15
𝜂𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑡 = 8.126 %
Improvements
Solar Boosted OTEC (SOTEC)

Image Source: http://ijsrd.com/Article.php?manuscript=IJSRDV2I4244

OTEC with vapor-vapor ejector

Image Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12206-008-0742-9

 References
• http://www.otecnews.org/what-is-otec/
• http://www.explainthatstuff.com/how-otec-works.html
• https://www.makai.com/ocean-thermal-energy-conversion/
• https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=hydropower_ocean_thermal_energy_conversion
• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hawaii-first-to-harness-deep-ocean-temperatures-for-power/
• http://www.curry.eas.gatech.edu/Courses/6140/ency/Chapter2/Ency_Oceans/OTEC.pdf
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWjQ1hYVmXo
• http://solarenergyengineering.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=1674782
• https://sciencing.com/advantages-disadvantages-otec-8495395.html
• http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/105281-Advantages-and-Limitations-of-Ocean-Thermal-Energy-
Conversion.aspx
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12206-008-0742-9
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225735952_Performance_analysis_and_improvement_for_CC-
OTEC_system
• http://ijsrd.com/Article.php?manuscript=IJSRDV2I4244
• https://knepublishing.com/index.php/KnE-Energy/article/view/330/1221
• http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=51003
Thank you for listening !!! 

Have a wonderful semester!!!