해수온도차발전 배출수를 이용한 지속가능개발목표(SDGs) 달성 모델

Abstract

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is the ocean energy system which generate the electricity from thermal gradient between warm surface seawater andcold deep seawater. The OTEC system is closed cycle power plant which uses flow force of working fluid with the phase change in the power cycle. The kinetic energy of evaporated working fluid(R32, ammonia, etc.) operate turbine to produce electricity, and then it recirculate after condensed by cold deep seawater. To operate OTEC system, large amounts of ocean surface water and deep sea water should be drawn and discharged. The temperature of effluent from the system can be influenced through evaporator and condenser. Therefore, it needs to consider environmental capacity of the discharge area. To minimize this potential impact, there is a passive method that discharge into the water depth where the temperature is nearly same. However, there is also an active method to utilize the discharge, by extracting useful resources and utilizing low temperature of OTEC discharge to match temperatures similar to coastal surface water. As known, the resource availability of discharged deep seawater can be used for energy and fresh water so on. Additionally, it also can be used for aquaculture and agriculture to produce food materials. Therefore, not only for the energy, OTEC power plant can be applied to improve the quality of life for residents along equatorial coastal zone by multi-purpose use of OTEC discharge. To aware the usefulness of seawater resources and the proper way of utilizing OTEC discharge, KRISO established the systematic capacity building program named ‘Sustainable Seawater Utilization Academy (SSUA)’ to support local community in Pacific Islands Countries(PICs) to achieve SDGs.