Experimental Study of Multi-heat Sourced Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion System

Abstract

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) seems to be one of feasible technologies to use unutilized thermal energy. High technology in ORC is known as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) that is estimated to generate 1.1 trillion kW of power around tropical waters. It is because there is sufficient temperature difference, of more than 20oC, between surface and deep waters in tropical waters. Even though there is permanent cold seawater around 2 oC in deeper layer than 200m in high latitude sea such as the East sea, OTEC system can be operated only during summer season because heat source from surface layer is over 22 oC from July to September. To operate such an ORC system annually, deep seawater can also be used in conjunction with unutilized heat sources such as solar or geothermal heat sources, waste heat or the discharged hot water from power plant or iron/cement-manufacturing factories.nd tropical waters. It is because there is sufficient temperature difference, of more than 20oC, between surface and deep waters in tropical waters. Even though there is permanent cold seawater around 2 oC in deeper layer than 200m in high latitude sea such as the East sea, OTEC system can be operated only during summer season because heat source from surface layer is over 22 oC from July to September. To operate such an ORC system annually, deep seawater can also be used in conjunction with unutilized heat sources such as solar or geothermal heat sources, waste heat or the discharged hot water from power plant or iron/cement-manufacturing factories.