OTEC - Ocean Thermal

Energy Conversion

Prepared By : -
Swarup Varu UC6012
Malav Shah UC7112
Jayash Mistry UC1812
Siddharth Patel UC3212
Rohan Shah UC4612
Kaivan Bhayani UC0512
INDEX
Introduction to OTEC
History of OTEC
OTEC System & Types
Advantages and Disadvantages of OTEC
Recent Advancement and future of OTEC
Tidal Currents
Factors generating currents
Types of tidal currents
Measurement of Tidal currents
Tidal Range
Introduction, Classification and Case study explanation
Environmental Considerations for Tidal Barrages
Introduction to OTEC

The oceans cover a little more than 70 percent

of the Earth's surface.
This makes them the world's largest solar
energy collector and energy storage system.
On an average day, 60 million square kilometers
(23 million square miles) of tropical seas absorb
an amount of solar radiation equal in heat
content to about 250 billion barrels of oil.
Ocean Thermal Energy

Energy is available from the ocean

by
Tapping ocean currents
Using the ocean as a heat engine
Tidal energy
Wave energy
What is OTEC

OTEC, or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, is

an energy technology that converts solar
radiation to electric power.
OTEC systems use the ocean's natural thermal
gradientthe fact that the ocean's layers of
water have different temperaturesto drive a
power-producing cycle.
History of OTECs

Jacques d Arsonval in 1881 first proposed the

idea completed by his student, Georges
Claude in 1930. (Claude also invented the neon
lightbulb)
Claude built and tested the first OTEC system
Not much further interest until the energy crisis
of the 1970s.
In the 1970s, US DOE financed large floating
OTEC power plant to provide power to islands
One was built in Hawaii.
Little further support
History
In 1881, Jacques Arsene d'Arsonval, a French physicist, was
the first to propose tapping the thermal energy of the ocean.
Georges Claude, a student of d'Arsonval's, built an
experimental open-cycle OTEC system at Matanzas Bay,
Cuba, in 1930.
The system produced 22 kilowatts (kW) of electricity by
using a low-pressure turbine. In 1935, Claude constructed
another open-cycle plant, this time aboard a 10,000-ton
cargo vessel moored off the coast of Brazil.
 Half of the earths incoming solar energy is
absorbed between the tropic of Capricorn and
the Tropic of Cancer.
The ocean as a heat engine

There can be a 20 difference between

ocean surface temps and the temp at 1000m
The surface acts as the heat source, the
deeper cold water acts as a heat sink.
Temperature differences are very steady
Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and other pacific
islands are well suited to take advantage of
this idea.
Called OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion)
OTEC System
Boiling water in a vacuum

The boiling point of any liquid depends upon

temperature and pressure.
Boiling occurs when the molecules in the
liquid have enough energy to break free
from surrounding molecules
If you reduce the pressure, you reduce the
amount of energy needed for the molecules
to break free.
Creating a vacuum reduces the air pressure
on the molecules and lowers the boiling
point.
Electricity Production

There are three types of systems are

being used for generating electricity from
OTEC
Closed-Cycle OTEC System
Open-Cycle OTEC System
Hybrid OTEC System
Closed-Cycle OTEC System
In the closed-cycle OTEC system, warm seawater
vaporizes a working fluid, such as ammonia,
flowing through a heat exchanger (evaporator).
Open-Cycle OTEC System
In an open-cycle OTEC system, warm seawater is
the working fluid. The warm seawater is "flash"-
evaporated in a vacuum chamber to produce
steam at an absolute pressure of about 2.4
kilopascals (kPa).
Hybrid System

Hybrid systems combine the features of

both the closed-cycle and open-cycle
systems. In a hybrid system, warm
seawater enters a vacuum chamber
where it is flash-evaporated into steam,
similar to the open-cycle evaporation
process. The steam vaporizes a low-
boiling-point fluid (in a closed-cycle loop)
that drives a turbine to produces
electricity.
Desalinated Water
Desalinated water can be produced in
open- or hybrid-cycle plants using surface
condensers.
In a surface condenser, the spent steam
is condensed by indirect contact with the
cold seawater.
Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Mineral Extraction
OTECs
Efficiency is low, only about 7%
Net efficiency even lower, only about 2.5%
Low efficiencies require large water volumes to
produce appreciable amount of electricity
For 100 mW output, you would need 25 X 106
liters/sec of warm and cold water.
For a 40 mW plant, a 10 meter wide intake pipe
is needed. This is the size of a traffic tunnel.
Innovative strategies

East River in New York-tidal river

Plans for 300 underwater turbines to tap the
rivers 4 knot tidal flow and produce 10mW
Already tested with a prototype
Tidal Lagoons
Artificial lagoons with high walls.
Lagoon fills and empties through apertures,
turbines are spun and generate electricity
doesnt disturb current environmental
conditions as much and expands locations by
only requiring large tidal variations (as opposed
to that and proper natural landforms).
Applications

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

systems have many applications or uses.

OTEC can be used to generate electricity,

desalinate water, support deep-water
matriculate re, and provide refrigeration
and air-conditioning as well as aid in crop
growth and mineral extraction.
Advantages of OTEC
Helps produce fuels such as hydrogen,
ammonia, and methanol .
Produces base load electrical energy.
Produces desalinated water for industrial,
agricultural, and residential uses .
Is a resource for on-shore and near-shore
mariculture operations.
Provides air-conditioning for buildings.
Provides moderate-temperature
refrigeration.
 Advantages
Low Environmental Impact
The distinctive feature of OTEC energy systems is
that the end products include not only energy in
the form of electricity, but several other synergistic
products.
Fresh Water
The first by-product is fresh water. A small 1 MW
OTEC is capable of producing some 4,500 cubic
meters of fresh water per day, enough to supply a
population of 20,000 with fresh water.
Food
A further by-product is nutrient rich cold water
from the deep ocean. The cold "waste" water from
the OTEC is utilised in two ways. Primarily the cold
water is discharged into large contained ponds,
near shore or on land, where the water can be
used for multi-species mariculture (shellfish and
shrimp) producing harvest yields which far surpass
Advantages
Minerals
OTEC may one day provide a means to
mine ocean water for 57 trace elements.
Most economic analyses have suggested
that mining the ocean for dissolved
substances would be unprofitable because
so much energy is required to pump the
large volume of water needed and because
of the expense involved in separating the
minerals from seawater. But with OTEC
plants already pumping the water, the only
remaining economic challenge is to reduce
the cost of the extraction process.
 Disadvantages of OTEC
Low thermal efficiency due to small
temperature gradient between heat sink and
source
OTEC technology is only ideally suitable in
equatorial waters
Only moderate power outputs are available
Currently this technology is not as monetarily
feasible as conventional power production
plants
The manufacturing and installation of the
extremely long cold water pipes is extremely
time consuming and costly.
Recent Advancements

The development of the Kalina Hybrid Cycle

which is significantly more efficient than the
previous closed-cycle system based on straight
ammonia.
The discovery that dissolved gases exchange
more rapidly from seawater than from fresh
water. This allows for more efficiency and lower
costs for open-cycle OTEC and for fresh water
production from seawater in a hybrid Kalina
Cycle configuration as well as fresh water
production in general.
The development of better heat exchangers and
heat exchanger operation with respect to bio-
fouling control (on the warm water side) and
corrosion control.
 The Future

Records available from experimental plants

demonstrate technical viability and provide
invaluable data on the operation of OTEC plants.
The economic evaluation of OTEC plants indicates
that their commercial future lies in floating plants
of approximately 100 MW capacity for
industrialized nations and smaller plants for
small-island-developing-states
Small OC-OTEC plants can be sized to produce
from 1 MW to 10 MW of electricity, and at least
1700 m 3 to 3500 m3 of desalinated water per day.
TIDAL CURRENTS
Introduction

When used in association with water, the term "current"

describes the motion of the water. Some currents you
may be familiar with are the motion of rainwater as it
flows down the street, or the motion of the water in a
creek, stream, or river flowing from higher elevation to
lower elevation. This motion is caused by gravity.
Tidal currents occur in conjunction with the rise and fall
of the tide. The vertical motion of the tides near the
shore causes the water to move horizontally, creating
currents. When a tidal current moves toward the land
and away from the sea, it floods. When it moves
toward the sea away from the land, it ebbs. These
tidal currents that ebb and flood in opposite directions
are called rectilinear or reversing currents.
Factors Generating Currents
One is the rise and fall of the tides, which is driven by the gravitational
attraction of the sun and moon on Earth's oceans. Tides create a current
in the oceans, near the shore, and in bays and estuaries along the coast.
These are called "tidal currents." Tidal currents are the only type of
currents that change in a very regular pattern and can be predicted for
future dates.
A second factor that drives oceanic currents is wind. Winds drive currents
that are at or near the ocean's surface. These currents are generally
measured in meters per second or in knots (1 knot = 1.15 miles per hour
or 1.85 kilometers per hour). Winds drive currents near coastal areas on a
localized scale, and also in the open ocean on a global scale.
A third factor that drives currents is thermohaline circulation-a process
driven by density differences in water due to temperature (thermo) and
salinity (haline) in different parts of the ocean. Currents driven by
thermohaline circulation occur at both deep and shallow ocean levels and
move much slower than tidal or surface currents.
Types of Tidal Currents

Tidal currents are the only type of current affected by

the interactions of the Earth, sun, and moon. The
moons force is much greater than that of the sun
because it is 389 times closer to the Earth than the sun
is. Tidal currents, just like tides, are affected by the
different phases of the moon. When the moon is at full
or new phases, tidal current velocities are strong and
are called spring currents. When the moon is at first
or third quarter phases, tidal current velocities are
weak and are called neap currents.
 Also similar to tides, tidal currents
are affected by the relative
positions of the moon and Earth.
When the moon and Earth are
positioned nearest to each other
(perigee), the currents are stronger
than average and are called
perigean currents. When the
moon and Earth are at their
farthest distance from each other
(apogee), the currents are weaker
and are called apogean currents.
The shape of bays and estuaries
also can magnify the intensity of
tides and the currents they The gravitational pull
produce. Funnel-shaped bays in of the moon usually
particular can dramatically alter creates two high tides
tidal current magnitude. The Bay of and two low tides each
day.
Fundy in Nova Scotia is a classic
example of this effect, and has the
Relationship Between Speed of
Current and Range of Tide
The speed of the tidal current is not necessarily
consistent with the range of tide. It may be the reverse.
For example, currents are weak in the Gulf of Maine
where the tides are large, and strong near Nantucket
Island and in Nantucket Sound where the tides are
small. However, at any one place the speed of the
current at strength of flood and ebb varies during the
month in about the same proportion as the range of
tide, and this relationship can be used to determine the
relative strength of currents on any given day
Variation Across an Estuary
The speed of the current also varies across the channel,
usually being greater in midstream or mid channel than
near shore, but in a winding river or channel the strongest
currents occur near the concave shore, or the outside
corner of the curve. Near the opposite (convex) shore the
currents are weakening
Variation with Depth
In tidal rivers the subsurface current acting on the lower
portion of a ships hull may differ considerably from the
surface current. An appreciable subsurface current may
be present when the surface movement appears to be
practically slack, and the subsurface current may even be
flowing with appreciable speed in the opposite direction to
the surface current.
In a tidal estuary, particularly in the lower reaches where
there is considerable difference in density from top to
bottom, the flood usually begins earlier near the bottom
than at the surface. This difference depends upon the
estuary, the location in the estuary, and freshet condition
The ebb speed at strength usually decreases gradually
from top to bottom, but the speed of flood at strength
Tidal Current Measurement

Observations of current are made with sophisticated

electronic current meters. Current meters are
suspended from a buoy or anchored to the bottom with
no surface marker at all.
Very sensitive current meters measure and record deep
ocean currents; these are later recovered by triggering
a release mechanism with a signal from the surface.
Untended current meters either record data internally
or send it by radio to a base station on ship or land. The
period of observation varies from a few hours to as long
as 6 months.
TIDAL RANGE
INTRODUCTION
The tidal range is the vertical difference between the
high tide and the succeeding low tide.
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the
combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by
the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth.
The tidal range is not constant, but changes depending
on where the sun and the moon are.
The most extreme tidal range occurs around the time of
the full or new moons, when the gravitational forces of
both the Sun and Moon are in phase, reinforcing each
other in the same direction (new moon), or are exactly
the opposite phase (full).
INTRODUCTION
During neap tides, when the Moon and Sun's
gravitational force vectors act in quadrature (making a
right angle to the Earth's orbit), the difference between
high and low tides is smaller.
Neap tides occur during the first and last quarters of
the moon's phases.
The largest annual tidal range can be expected around
the time of the equinox, if coincidental with a spring
tide.
CLASSIFICATION OF TIDAL RANGE
The tidal range has been
classified as:
Micromareal, when the
tidal range is lower than 2
metres.
Mesomareal, when the
tidal range is between 2
metres and 4 metres.
Macromareal, when the
tidal range is higher than
4 metres.
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY: SIHWA LAKE
TIDAL POWER STATION
TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY: SIHWA LAKE
TIDAL POWER STATION
Sihwa Lake is a 43.8 km artificial lake constructed as a
land reclamation project by the South Korean government
in 1994, using a 12.7 km long seawall at Gyeonggi Bay.
It was created to provide reclaimed land for the nearby
metropolitan area, flood mitigation, and secure irrigation
water by converting the costal reservoir to fresh water.
Yet once the seawall was closed and the natural tidal
currents were cut off, water quality deteriorated. This was
due to a combination of factors, including low natural
freshwater inflows and the increase of wastewater from
the industrial complexes.
Delays in the construction of local wastewater treatment
facilities further exacerbated the situation, and by 1997
the Sihwa Lake was so contaminated that the water could
no longer be used.
However, seawater circulation via the sluice gates alone is
limited. K-water, the Korean governmental water authority,
commissioned the first feasibility study for the
construction of a tidal power plant at the site which would
improve seawater circulation by about 200 per cent.
 THE TIDAL POWER PLANT FACILITY
The feasibility of tidal energy generation in South
Korea was first investigated in the 1970s. At the time,
potential developments were not deemed profitable
and were postponed.
In the early 21stcentury, tidal energy generation
gained increasing attention as a strategy to counter
rising international oil prices and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
The Sihwa tidal power plant generates one-way power
twice a day at high tide. The sluice gates are closed
as the tide comes in which isolates the reservoir at its
lowest level. When the tide is high, water then flows
from the West Sea to Sihwa lake via the ten turbines,
generating electricity.
With ten water turbine generators each with an
installed capacity of 25.4 MW, the power plant
produces 552.7 GWh of electricity annually enough
THE TIDAL POWER PLANT FACILITY
Location
Sihwa embankment, Ansan City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Power capacity
254 MW (10 x 25.4MW turbines)
Gates
8 sluice gates (15.3m12m, Culvert type)
Annual generation
552.7 GWh
Project construction period
200311 (commercial operation began in 2011)
Project cost
USD 560 million
 EFFECT OF CONSTRUCTION
With limited energy resources and a need to develop
pollution-free, clean energy, South Korea is looking to
tidal power as a potential alternative to fossil fuels.
Tidal power offers some strong advantages in
comparison to other renewable sources, such as its
periodicity and long-term predictability of tidal
patterns.
The 552.7 GWh of electricity generated from Sihwa
tidal power plant is equivalent to 862,000 barrels of
oil, or 315,000 tons of CO2 the amount produced by
100,000 cars produce annually.
This site has become a very popular site for learning
about lively ecosystems, with over146 bird species
including stork and mallard, and some 23 million birds
living in and around the lake.
The Sihwa embankment, 12.7 km in length, is also a
popular spot for leisure activities and sports. The tidal
 TIDAL ENERGY

Environmental Considerations
for Tidal Barrages
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
Tidal energy is a renewable source of electricity which
does not result in the emission of gases responsible
for global warming or acid rain associated with fossil
fuel generated electricity.
Use of tidal energy could also decrease the need for
nuclear power, with its associated radiation risks.
Changing tidal flows by damming a bay or estuary
could, however, result in negative impacts on aquatic
and shoreline ecosystems, as well as navigation and
recreation.
The few studies that have been undertaken to date to
identify the environmental impacts of a tidal power
scheme have determined that each specific site is
different and the impacts depend greatly upon local
geography.
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
While actual impacts of large-scale operations have
not been observed, a range of potential impacts can
be projected.
For example, wave energy installations can require
large expanses of ocean space, which could compete
with other usessuch as fishing and shippingand
cause damage to marine life and habitats.
Some tidal energy technologies are located at the
mouths of ecologically-sensitive estuary systems,
which could cause changes in hydrology and salinity
that negatively impact animal and plant life.
Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
In addition, while estimates for life-cycle global
warming emissions for wave and tidal power are
preliminary, published research suggests that they
would be below 0.05 pounds of carbon dioxide
equivalent per kilowatt-hour.
To put this into context, estimates of life-cycle global
warming emissions for natural gas generated electricity
are between 0.6 and 2 pounds of carbon dioxide
equivalent per kilowatt-hour and estimates for coal-
generated electricity are 1.4 and 3.6 pounds of carbon
dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour.
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
Some of the non-monetary costs associated with
barrage systems include destruction of habitat,
interruption of organisms travel routes, potential
electromagnetic interference (in the case of species
that can sense electric fields), and potential acoustic
pollution.
In addition, hydroelectric systems are well-known for
killing fish, and the waste heat that ends up in the
water reduces its capacity to store dissolved oxygen,
harming not only fish, but all organisms in the
affected area.
Despite all this, such systems are attractive to many
because of their reliance on existing technology and
knowledge.
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
The possible negative environmental effects of tidal
and wave power include:
the frames of the turbines could lead to disruption
in movement of large marine animals and ships
through the channels on which the barrage is built.
construction of tidal power plant can also disrupt
fish migration in the oceans, and even kill fish
population when passing through the turbines.
the possibility of noise pollution.
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
The possible negative environmental effects of tidal
and wave power include:
the frames of the turbines could lead to disruption
in movement of large marine animals and ships
through the channels on which the barrage is built.
construction of tidal power plant can also disrupt
fish migration in the oceans, and even kill fish
population when passing through the turbines.
the possibility of noise pollution.
 Environmental Considerations for
Tidal Barrages
The placement of a barrage into an estuary has a
considerable effect on the water inside the basin and
on the ecosystem.
Many governments have been reluctant in recent
times to grant approval for tidal barrages.
Through research conducted on tidal plants, it has
been found that tidal barrages constructed at the
mouths of estuaries pose similar environmental
threats as large dams.
The construction of large tidal plants alters the flow of
saltwater in and out of estuaries, which changes the
hydrology and salinity and possibly negatively affects
the marine mammals that use the estuaries as their
habitat
 Environmental Considerations for Tidal
Barrages
TURBIDITY
Turbidity (the amount of matter in suspension in the
water) decreases as a result of smaller volume of
water being exchanged between the basin and the
sea. This lets light from the Sun penetrate the water
further, improving conditions for thephytoplankton.
The changes propagate up thefood chain, causing a
general change in theecosystem.
SALINITY
As a result of less water exchange with the sea, the
average salinity inside the basin decreases, also
affecting the ecosystem.
"Tidal Lagoons" do not suffer from this problem.
SEDIMENT MOVEMENTS
Estuaries often have high volume of sediments
moving through them, from the rivers to the sea.
The introduction of a barrage into an estuary
may result in sediment accumulation within the
barrage, affecting the ecosystem and also the
operation of the barrage.
 Environmental Considerations for Tidal
Barrages
TIDAL FENCES AND TURBINES
Tidal fences and turbines, if constructed properly,
pose less environmental threats than tidal barrages.
Tidal fences and turbines, liketidal stream
generators, rely entirely on the kinetic motion of the
tidal currents and do not use dams or barrages to
block channels orestuarinemouths.
Unlike barrages, tidal fences do not interruptfish
migrationor alter-hydrology, thus these options offer
energy generating capacity without dire
environmental impacts.
Tidal fences and turbines can have varying
environmental impacts depending on whether or not
fences and turbines are constructed with regard to
the environment.
The main environmental impact of turbines is their
impact on fish. If the turbines are moving slowly
 Environmental Considerations for Tidal
Barrages
FISH
Fish may move through sluices safely, but when these
are closed, fish will seek out turbines and attempt to
swim through them. Also, some fish will be unable to
escape the water speed near a turbine and will be
sucked through. Even with the most fish-friendly
turbine design, fish mortality per pass is approximately
15% (from pressure drop, contact with
blades,cavitation, etc.).
Alternative passage technologies (fish ladders, fish lifts,
fish escalators etc.) have so far failed to solve this
problem for tidal barrages, either offering extremely
expensive solutions, or ones which are used by a small
fraction of fish only.
Recently a run of the river type turbine has been
developed in France. This is a very large slow
rotatingKaplan-type turbinemounted on an angle.
 Environmental Considerations for Tidal
Barrages
CASE STUDY-1: LA RANCE PLANT, FRANCE.
The La Rance plant, off the Brittany coast of
northern France, was the first and largest tidal
barrage plant in the world.
It is also the only site where a full-scale evaluation of
the ecological impact of a tidal power system,
operating for 20years, has been made.
French researchers found that the isolation of the
estuary during the construction phases of the tidal
barrage was detrimental to flora and fauna, however;
after ten years, there has been a "variable degree of
biological adjustment to the new environmental
conditions.Some species lost their habitat due to La
Rance's construction, but other species colonized the
abandoned space, which caused a shift in diversity.
Also as a result of the construction, sandbanks
disappeared, the beach of St. Servan was badly
damaged and high-speed currents have developed
Thank You