OTEC- is a process that can produce electricity by using the temperature

difference between deep cold ocean water and warm tropical surface
water.
Open Cycle OTEC- a system that employs water vapor as the working
fluid and dispense with the use of a refrigerant.
Closed Cycle OTEC- a system that uses a fluid with a low boiling point
such as ammonia to rotate a turbine coupled to an electric generator.
Hybrid OTEC- A cycle combines the features of both the closed-cycle and
open-cycle systems. The warm seawater enters a vacuum chamber where
it is flash-evaporated into steam, similar to the open- cycle process.
Ammonia- a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell, the liquid
boils at -33.3°C and freezes at -77.7°C to white crystals.
Shelf Based Power Plant- A shelf-mounted plant could be built in a
shipyard, towed to the site, and fixed to the bottom of the sea.
Heat Exchanger- a device for transferring heat from one medium to
another.
Flash Evaporation- is the partial vapor that occurs when a saturated liquid
stream undergoes a reduction in pressure by passing through a throttling
valve or other throttling device.
1. An ocean-thermal energy conversion power plant generates 10,000kw using a warm surface
water inlet temperature of 26°C and a cold deep-water temperature of 15°C. On the basis of 3°C
drop in the temperature of the warm water and a 3°C rise in the temperature of the cold water due
to removal and addition of heat, calculate the power required in kw to pump the cold deep water
to the surface and through the system heat exchanger if the required pumping pressure is 7kpa.
Assume a Carnot cycle efficiency and density of cold water to be 1000kg/𝑚3 .
Solution:
𝑇 15+273
e=1- 𝐿 =1- =0.036789
𝑇𝐻 26+273

𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 10000𝑘𝑤
e= 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 = 𝑄𝐴
=0.036789

𝑄𝐴 =271,820.3811KW
𝑊𝑛𝑒𝑡 =𝑄𝐴 − 𝑄𝑅
10,000kw=271,820.3811kw-𝑄𝑅
𝑄𝑅 =261,820.3811kw
𝑄𝑅 =𝑚𝑤 𝐶𝑃 (∆𝑇)
𝐾𝐽
261,820.3811KW=𝑚𝑤 (4.187𝑘𝑔−𝐾)(3)
𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑤 =20,843.9112 𝑠
𝑚𝑓 20,843.9112 𝑚3
Q= = =20.8439
𝛾 1000 𝑠

𝐾𝑁
P=𝛿ℎ 7kpa= (9.81 )(h)
𝑚3

h= 0.7135576m
𝑚3 𝐾𝑁
Power required= Q𝛿h= (20.8439 )( (9.81 )( 0.7135576m)
𝑠 𝑚3

Power required=146kw

2. Consider an OTEC system operating between 30°C and 5°C. What would be the maximum
possible efficiency for an electric generating station with these temperatures.
𝑇𝐻 −𝑇𝐿 30−5
e= 𝑇𝐻
=30+273 × 100

e= 8.25%
 3. An OTEC power plant proposed to operate on a difference in ocean water temperature
of 25℃ near the surface and 5℃ at some greater depth, using ammonia as a working
substance. Steam delivered to the turbine with temperature of 20℃ saturated vapor and
exhaust to condenser at 10℃ . Isentropic efficiency of both turbine and pump is 80%,
𝑘𝑔
mass flow rate of fluid is 1000 𝑠 .
𝐾𝐽 𝐾𝐽
At 20°C: hg=1479.75𝑘𝑔, sg= 5.3740𝑘𝑔−𝐾 , P=858.79kpa
𝐾𝐽 𝐾𝐽 𝐾𝐽 𝐾𝐽
At 10°C: hf=246.531𝑘𝑔, hfg=1225.039𝑘𝑔, sf=1.16607 𝑘𝑔−𝐾, sfg=4.32633𝑘𝑔−𝐾
𝐿
vf=1.6008𝑘𝑔, P=616.25kpa
a.) Determine the turbine power output and the pump power input for the ammonia
cycle.
b.) What is the thermal efficiency of the power plant?
Solution:
At Point 1, 20°C
𝐾𝐽 𝐾𝐽
H1= hg=1479.75𝑘𝑔 S1= sg= 5.3740𝑘𝑔−𝐾

At Point 2, 10°C
S1=S2=sf+xsfg
5.3740=1.16607+x(4.32633)
X=0.972633
H2=hf+xhfg=246.531+(0.972633)( 1225.039)
𝐾𝐽
H2=1438.044358𝑘𝑔

At Point 3
𝐾𝐽
H3=hf @ 10°C= 246.531𝑘𝑔

At Point 4,
H4= vf3(P1-P2)+h3= (1.6008× 10−3 )( 858.79-616.25) + 246.531
𝐾𝐽
H4= 246.919258𝑘𝑔

Solving for 𝑊𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑃 :

a.) 𝑊𝑇 = 𝑚(ℎ1 − ℎ2)(𝑛𝑠𝑡 ) = (1000)( 1479.75-1438.044358)( 80%)
𝑾𝑻 =33,364.5136kw=33.3645MW
(𝑚)(ℎ4−ℎ3) (1000)(246.919258−246.531)
𝑊𝑃 = 𝑛 = 80%
𝑠𝑝
𝑾𝑷 =485.3225kw
𝑊 𝑊𝑡 −𝑊𝑝 33,364.5136−485.3225
b.) e= 𝑄𝑛𝑒𝑡 =𝑚(ℎ1−ℎ4)=(1000)(1479.75−246.919258) × 100
𝐴
e=2.6669%
4. The enthalpy entering the turbine of an otec power plant is 2850 KJ/kg and mass
rate of 1kg/sec. Work of turbine is 1000kw, condenser outlet has an enthalpy of
210KJ/kg. If temperature rise of cooling water in condenser is 8°C, what is the
mass of cooling water requirement?

SOLUTION:

𝑊𝑡 =𝑚𝑠 (ℎ1 − ℎ2 )
1000kw = (1kg/s)(2850-ℎ2 )
ℎ2 = 1850KJ/kg

𝑚𝑠 (ℎ2 − ℎ3 ) = 𝑚𝑤 (𝐶𝑝𝑤 )(t)

𝑚𝑠 (ℎ2 −ℎ3 )
𝑚𝑤 = (𝐶𝑝𝑤 )(t)
(1)(1850−210)
𝑚𝑤 =
(4.187)(8)
𝒎𝒘 = 48.96 kg/s

5. The OTEC system with P=1MW, ∆𝑇 =20°C has a cold-water pipe with L=
𝑚3
1000m, diameter D=1m, flow Q=0.50 𝑠 , pipe friction f=0.012. Calculate the
power that was lost during the pumping of water up the pipe.

Solution:
P=Q𝛿ℎ𝑓
𝑓𝐿𝑣 2
ℎ𝑓 =
𝑔𝐷
𝑄
v=𝐴
𝑚3
0.50
𝑠
v= 𝜋
(1𝑚)2
4
𝑚
v=0.633 𝑠
𝑚
(0.012)(1000𝑚)(0.633 𝑠 )2
ℎ𝑓 = 𝑚
(9.81 2 )(1𝑚)
𝑠

ℎ𝑓 = 0.9914𝑚
P=Q𝛿ℎ𝑓
𝑚3 𝐾𝑁
P= (0.50 𝑠 )(9.81𝑚3 )(0.9914m)
P= 4.8628KW
6. How many percent of the turbine work output is required to operate the pump of
a steam power plant, if steam enters the turbine at 2.5Mpa and is condensed at
𝑚3
the condenser at 50kpa (vf=0.001030 𝑘𝑔 ). The turbine work is 653.8 kj/kg.

SOLUTION:
Wp=vf(P4-P3)
= (0.001030) (2500-50)
=2.5235 kj/kg
Percentage of turbine work to operate a pump:
𝑊𝑝 2.5235
= 653.8 × 100
𝑊𝑡

= 0.38%
7. Consider a flat plate solar collector used to supply energy to working fluid (HFC
134a) in a 12-MW power plant operating on a rankine cycle. Saturated vapor
enters the turbine at 20 bar and exits at 0.4 bar. Consider the turbine to be 88%
efficient, pump to be 0.72 efficient, and the rate of energy from the sun to the
working fluid to be 0.275 kw/(𝑚2 of collector area). Cooling water at 20°𝐶 is
available for the condenser. Determine the thermal efficiency of the cycle.
Properties:
At 20 bar: hg=430 kj/kg
𝑚3
At 0.4 bar: hg= 351 kj/kg hf=143 kj/kg vf= 0.0007 𝑘𝑔
SOLUTION:
𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 ℎ1−ℎ2′
Turbine eff= 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑙 = ℎ1−ℎ2
Wt(actual)= (0.88)(430-351)
= 69. 52 kj/kg
Wp= vf(P4-P3)
𝑚3
= (0.0007 𝑘𝑔 )(2000-40) kpa
Wp= 1.372 kj/kg
1.372 kj/kg
Wp(actual) = 0.72 = 1.905kj/kg
H4= h3 + Wp = 144.901 kj/kg
𝑤𝑡−𝑤𝑝 69.52−1.905
Cycle efficiency= 𝑄 =430−144.901
𝐴
=0.23716 or 23.716%
8. Consider a flat plate solar collector used to supply energy to working fluid (HFC
134a) in a 12-MW power plant operating on a rankine cycle. Saturated vapor
enters the turbine at 20 bar and exits at 0.4 bar. Consider the turbine to be 88%
efficient, pump to be 0.72 efficient, and the rate of energy from the sun to the
working fluid to be 0.275 kw/(𝑚2 of collector area). Cooling water at 20°𝐶 is
available for the condenser. Determine the hourly mass flow rate through the
turbine:
Properties:
At 20 bar: hg=430 kj/kg
𝑚3
At 0.4 bar: hg= 351 kj/kg hf=143 kj/kg vf= 0.0007 𝑘𝑔
SOLUTION:
Power Output= m(Wnet)
Wnet= Wt-Wp = 69.52 − 1.905
Wnet = 67.615kj/kg
Power Output = m (Wnet)
(12000Kw) (3600) = m (67.615 kj/kg)
m= 638911.4841 kg/hr