Abstract
This study constructed an experimental platform of a micro OTEC unit and investigates it power generation performance under the variation in working-fluid pump frequency, turbine frequency, warm-water flow rate, and cold-water flow rate. In addition, a self-consumed electricity model for the micro OTEC unit was developed, and data-driven predictive analysis was conducted to estimate the net power output and net thermal efficiency, thereby evaluating the potential of the developed unit for underwater power supply applications. The results indicate that the power generation of the unit is 714.6W, corresponding to a thermal efficiency of 1.86%. The stability of the unit is compromised when there is an excessive adjustment in the working-fluid pump frequency, while adjusting the turbine frequency has minimal effect on unit stability. The reduction in the warm/cold-water flow rate led to a decrease in power generation and unit stability, while an increase in warm/cold-water flow rate does not affect the unit stability, but it is not always beneficial to the power generation. Under oceanic temperature conditions, the unit is predicted to achieve a net power output of 565.2 W with a corresponding net thermal efficiency of 1.48%, indicating its promising potential for underwater power supply applications.