Conceptual design for combined ocean thermal energy conversion using computational fluid dynamics and heat balance analysis. (22nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jeon, Eojin; Heo, Gyunyoung; Kim, Iljin; Kim, Hyungdae; Jung, Hoon
• Is Part Of: International journal of energy research. Volume 44:Number 9(2020)
• Page Start: 7477
• Page End: 7494
• Publication Date: 2020-04-22
• Subjects: combined ocean thermal energy conversion -- demonstration facility -- flow analysis -- heat balance analysis; Power resources -- Periodicals; Power (Mechanics) -- Periodicals; Power resources -- Research -- Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1002/er.5469
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0363-907X

Abstract

Summary: To overcome the limited efficiency of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), particularly in the mid‐latitudes, combined OTEC (C‐OTEC) could use power extracted from the latent heat of a power plant condenser. Past research in South Korea has demonstrated the feasibility of a 10 kW C‐OTEC system using R134a as a working fluid. As the next phase, a 200 kW C‐OTEC demonstration facility with a thermal efficiency of greater than 3% is proposed. This paper presents the engineering design process for kW‐scale C‐OTEC within a 100 MW‐scale thermal power plant. The design process is divided into two stages. First, to predict patterns in steam flow to a connected external evaporator with a porous medium, computational fluid dynamics are calculated. The results show a conservative margin suitable for the conceptual design. Second, an iterative heat balance simulation method simultaneously evaluates the heat balance analysis of the C‐OTEC design and the thermal impact of the existing power plant. The design stages are then integrated in terms of heat transference capacity. Abstract : This paper introduced one of the new organic Rankine cycle applications, combined ocean thermal energy conversion (C‐OTEC), which utilizes exhaust steam from a condenser of thermal power plant as a heat source. The technical feasibility of the 200 kW C‐OTEC was examined using the method of interactive heat balance simulation and computational fluid dynamics. We also provided the quantitative pros and cons on the performance of existing thermal power plants while installing a large‐scale C‐OTEC.