Open-Cycle OTEC Seawater Experiments in Hawaii

A 165 kWe Open-Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) experiment is planned to be conducted through cost-shared projects between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii (NELH), Keahole, North Kona, Hawaii. The objective is to obtain experimental data under prototypical seawater conditions through the development and testing of an apparatus capable of producing 165 kWe (gross) power. This apparatus will be used to validate performance predictions, identify technical issues and obtain data scalable to future commercial size plants. The project plan incorporates component, component interaction and full system-level tests and covers the period from now through 1991. The 165 kWe open-cycle OTEC experiments will be supported by an upgraded seawater supply system being installed at NELH. This includes installation of a 1.0 m diameter cold-water pipe capable of delivering 840 l/s, representing the longest (2,060 m) large-diameter pipe traversing the steepest slope ever spanned.