OTEC

Capturing energy using temperature gradients across water depths.

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology converts solar energy stored in the layers of the tropical and subtropical oceans. Thermal heat engines use the temperature difference between the sun-warmed surface water and cold water in the deep ocean. The temperature difference between surface waters and deeper water can reach over 25oC in summer months, although usually this temperature difference exists only over water with depths of 1,000 m or greater. Many different OTEC archetypes have been investigated, some on floating offshore platforms and some built onshore with pipelines to transport the water to and from the ocean. Each system uses one or a combination of thermodynamic processes to turn the temperature difference into mechanical energy. Both the open-cycle and closed-cycle plants use cold water pumped from the deep ocean to condense a working fluid. An ancillary benefit is that the condensate is freshwater that can have other uses such as agriculture and potable drinking water.

Photo: Okinawa Prefecture Industrial Policy Division

Affiliated Marine Energy Engineering Documents

Total results: 426
Title Author Date Type of Content Technology Collection Method Engineering
A Combined Cooling and Power System Based on Guohai Cycle Zhang, Y., Bian, Y. Journal Article OTEC, Hybrid-Cycle Modeling Performance
A review of geographic information system (GIS) and techno economic (TE) software tools for renewable energy and methodology to develop a coupled GIS-TE software tool for marine renewable energy (MRE) O’Connell, R., Murphy, J., McAuliffe, F. Journal Article Current, Wave, Salinity Gradient, OTEC Field Data, Modeling
An Application of Ocean Mining Technology: Deep Ocean Water Utilization Otsuka, K., Ouchi, K. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance, Structural
OTEC Commercialization Challenges Cooper, D., Meyer, L., Varley, R. Journal Article OTEC Field Data Materials, Performance, Structural
Effect of working fluid on the ORC cycle performance of the ocean thermal energy conversion system Zhang, K., Lv, X., Weng, Y. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance
Assessment of Microbial Fouling in an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Experiment Aftring, R., Taylor, B. Journal Article OTEC Field Data
A new hybrid ocean thermal energy conversion–Offshore solar pond (OTEC–OSP) design: A cost optimization approach Straatman, P., van Sark, W. Journal Article OTEC, Hybrid-Cycle
Ocean thermal energy harvesting with phase change material for underwater glider Ma, Z., Wang, Y., Wang, S. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Field Data, Modeling, Full Scale Performance, Power Take Off
Effects of working conditions on the performance of an ammonia ejector used in an ocean thermal energy conversion system Li, S., Zhai, X., Liu, Y. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance
Coupled response characteristics of cold water pipe and moored ship for floating OTEC plant Hisamatsu, R., Utsunomiya, T. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Hydrodynamics, Mooring, Performance, Substructure
Potential sites for the use of ocean energy in the Mexican Caribbean Chávez, V., Barcenas, J., Martínez, M. Journal Article Current, Ocean Current, Wave, OTEC
Economic Design of OTEC Power Plant with Concurrent Production of Desalinated Water – A Case Study Narayanan, C. Journal Article OTEC, Hybrid-Cycle Performance
Thermodynamic analysis of heat storage of ocean thermal energy conversion integrated with a two-stage turbine by thermal power plant condenser output water Hoseinzadeh, S., PaeinLamouki, M., Garcia, D. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Hybrid Devices, Performance
Determination of the Potential Thermal Gradient for the Mexican Pacific Ocean Huante, A., Cueto, Y., Silva, R. Journal Article OTEC
Conceptual design of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power plants in the Philippines Uehara, H., Dilao, C., Nakaoka, T. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Test Center
Maximum output of an OTEC power plant Yeh, R., Su, T., Yang, M. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance
Inverted vertical spout evaporators for open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion Ghiaasiaan, S., Wassel, A. Journal Article OTEC, Open-Cycle Lab Data, Modeling Hydrodynamics, Performance
Powering the Blue Economy: Progress Exploring Marine Renewable Energy Integration With Ocean Observations Cavagnaro, R., Copping, A., Green, R. Journal Article Current, Riverine, Tidal, Wave, OTEC Field Data, Lab Data, Modeling
Is bigger always better? Designing economically feasible ocean thermal energy conversion systems using spatiotemporal resource data Langer, J., Ferriera, C., Quist, J. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance
Performance Evaluation of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion System Using Cross-Flow Plate Type Heat Exchangers Yasunaga, T., Nakamura, T., Okuno, T. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance
Site selection of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plants for Barbados Hall, K., Kelly, S., Henry, L. Journal Article OTEC Modeling
Public funding for ocean energy: A comparison of the UK and U.S. Jeffrey, H., Sedgwick, J., Gerrard, G. Journal Article Current, Wave, Salinity Gradient, OTEC
Integration of ocean thermal energy conversion and pumped thermal energy storage: system design, off-design and LCOS evaluation Ghilardi, A., Baccioli, A., Frate, G. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Hybrid Devices, Performance
An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion power plant: Advanced exergy analysis and experimental validation Colorado-Garrido, D., Mendoza-Bernal, E., Toledo-Paz, L. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance
Beyond electricity: The potential of ocean thermal energy and ocean technology ecoparks in small tropical islands Osorio, A., Arias-Gaviria, J., Devis-Morales, A. Journal Article OTEC
Effects of thermocline on performance of underwater glider’s power system propelled by ocean thermal energy Yang, H., Ma, J. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance
Decision framework for ocean thermal energy plant site selection from a sustainability perspective: The case of China Zhang, J., Xu, C., Song, Z. Journal Article OTEC
Performance analysis of an absorption power cycle for ocean thermal energy conversion Yuan, H., Zhou, P. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Performance
Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of a 10MW OTEC Rankine cycle in Reunion Island with the equivalent Gibbs system method and generic optimization program GenOpt Sinama, F., Martins, M., Journoud, A. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Lab Data, Modeling Control, Performance
Numerical studies on the performance of ammonia ejectors used in ocean thermal energy conversion system Zhang, J., Zhai, X., Li, S. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Substructure
Recent progress in the economics of ocean thermal energy conversion: Critical review and research agenda Langer, J., Quist, J., Blok, K. Journal Article OTEC
Review of enhancement for ocean thermal energy conversion system Abbas, S., Alhassany, H., Vera, D. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Lab Data, Modeling Hydrodynamics, Performance
Development of an auxiliary thermal energy storage type heat exchanger for solar-heat boost type OTEC Arima, H. Journal Article OTEC, Open-Cycle Lab Data Control, Performance
Heat transfer mechanism of cold-water pipe in ocean thermal energy conversion system Mao, L., Wei, C., Zeng, S. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance
Mini-OTEC Operational Results Owens, W., Trimble, L. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Field Data Materials, Performance, Structural
Efficiency Enhancement in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion: A Comparative Study of Heat Exchanger Designs for Bi2Te3-Based Thermoelectric Generators Chung, Y., Wu, C. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance, Structural
An assessment of ocean thermal energy conversion as an advanced electric generation methodology Heydt, G. Journal Article OTEC
Optimization design and exergy analysis of organic rankine cycle in ocean thermal energy conversion Sun, F., Ikegami, Y., Jia, B. Journal Article OTEC, Closed-Cycle Modeling Materials, Performance
Economic study on the construction of a 50 MW Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) facility in Banten Province, Indonesia Rahmawati, S. Journal Article OTEC
Colombian Caribbean Bathymetry for an OTEC System Location Herrera, J., Hernández-Hamón, H., Fajardo, L. Journal Article OTEC Field Data, Modeling
A Preliminary Investigation of the Effect of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Effluent Discharge Options on Global OTEC Resources Nihous, G. Journal Article OTEC Modeling
Ocean thermal energy conversion- materials issues Darby, J. Journal Article OTEC Field Data Materials, Performance, Structural
Performance simulation of solar-boosted ocean thermal energy conversion plant Yamada, N., Hoshi, A., Ikegami, Y. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Hybrid Devices, Performance
Preliminary selection of anchor systems for ocean thermal energy conversion Atturio, J., Valent, P., Taylor, R. Journal Article OTEC Field Data Performance, Substructure
Estimation of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Resources in the East of Malaysia Thirugnana, S., Jaafar, A., Yasunaga, T. Journal Article OTEC
Compression-assisted absorption refrigeration using ocean thermal energy Hu, Z., Wan, Y., Zhang, C. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance
Parameter Analysis on OTEC using Hybrid Cycle Ikegami, Y., Yasunaga, T., Okuno, T. Journal Article OTEC, Hybrid-Cycle Performance
Alcan's ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) program Hron, V., Fitzpatrick, N., Hay, E. Journal Article OTEC, Open-Cycle
Using Drifters Equipped with Acoustic Tags to Verify the Efficacy of an Array of Acoustic Receivers for Estimating Probability of Fish-Turbine Encounter Wang, D., Zheng, M., Zhang, L. Journal Article OTEC Modeling Performance, Substructure
Mapping available Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion resources around the main Hawaiian Islands with state-of-the-art tools Nihous, G. Journal Article OTEC Modeling
Displaying 151 - 200 of 426 results