Research Article Open Access

SPECIFIC POWER OPTIMIZATION OF 0.1MWe CLOSED CYCLE OTEC POWER PLANT

Abstract

The search for renewable sources of energy resulted in the revival of a concept based on the utilization of the differences in temperature between the warm tropical surface waters and the cold deep ocean water available at depths of about 1000 m as the source of the thermal energy required to vaporize and condense the working fluid of a turbine - generator system respectively. This concept is referred to as “Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion”. As the temperature in the top surface is equal to the ambient temperature and the temperature in the bottom surface is much cooler when compared to the top surface, there exists a temperature difference between the layers of the ocean and this temperature difference is utilized to run an OTEC power plant. In this work, simulation of the OTEC power plant is done to optimize the specific power output by varying the intake velocities and depth. Ammonia is used as the working fluid. The maximum specific power output is obtained for a depth of 600m.

Dr. E. Vijayakrishna Rapaka

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