Development Project - Not R&D
All components exist and are in use in similar roles in oil and gas, conventional OTEC, or ORC systems.
Heat Pump Cycle
-
Water Pumps
-
Supercritical Gas Pumps
-
1 Heat Exchanger
-
Insulated Steel Pipe
Organic Rankine Cycle
-
1 Heat Exchanger
-
Subsea Water Pumps
-
Subsea Working Fluid Pumps
-
Insulated Piping
-
Subsea Structure
-
Subsea Turbo-Generator
(Based on Subsea Compressor)
Interface
-
1 Heat Exchanger/Boiler
The difference
Conventional OTEC
Large Diaimeter HDPE pipe
-
Prototype/ R&D
-
No long term history
-
Expensive
Prototype
5 MW Pipe
1000 m
~ 10m OD HDPE pipe
1000 Deep (4 °C)
Cold water
intake
Limited energy efficiency due to ambient temperature.
Heat available for power cycle
maximum 30°C
Power plant on the surface may prevent the use of ammonia as a working fluid due to safety concerns.
Large Topsides or onshore requirements
Compete OTEC system: pumps, power, heat exchangers etc.
Water column mixing required
Cold & Warm water discharge near the surface
Mixed Water Discharge
150 m
Requires a 3000m dynamic high voltage power cable to export power from platform
Dynamic
Power Export cable
Excipio's
Insulated steel pipes (2 per unit)
-
Same as is used for oil & gas
-
Known cost
-
Proven long design life
Proposed
30+ MW
E-OTEC pipes
Cold water
intake
1000 Deep (4 °C)
Added heat pump technology triples the energy capture efficiency
Heat available for power cycle ranging from 50°C to 100°C
Power plant on the seabed allows for safe use of ammonia as working fluid.
Very small topsides or onshore requirements
Seabed ORC Power
Heat Exchanger & Pump
No water column mixing
Cold water discharge at just above the seabed
If power is for export, no dynamic power cable required. Cable starts at power plant on seabed.
Static Power Export cable
Warm Water Discharge
surface
Cold Water
Discharge
Seabed
SAME SCALE
All together
E-OTEC makes power at
1/3 the cost of conventional OTEC.
