Regenerative OTEC systems using condenser effluents discharged from three nuclear power plants in South Korea

Abstract

SUMMARYIn this study, the availability of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power plant has been evaluated and analyzed with condenser effluents discharge from nuclear power plant. For this, we have also calculated the performance of OTEC power system by various computer programs based on thermodynamical theories. The computer programs are developed for simulation of the closed cycle, regenerative cycle, Kalina cycle, open cycle, and hybrid cycle under equivalent conditions and various working fluids. Among these OTEC cycles, the regenerative cycle with R-134a shows the highest efficiency. It also has used the condenser effluents from the Kori, Wolsong, and Uljin nuclear power plants instead of the surface water to analyze the thermodynamic performance of the OTEC regenerative cycles. The Kori, Wolsong, and Uljin nuclear power plants have shown maximum efficiencies of 5.21%, 5.15%, and 4.83%, respectively. The net powers are 131, 93, and 192 MW at the three locations, respectively.

Direct ocean capture: the emergence of electrochemical processes for oceanic carbon removal

“…Assuming 100% efficiency, the required seawater intake will have to be 25 million m 3 per day, which is about 25 times the capacity of the current largest desalination plant in the world 135 and roughly equivalent to cooling water intake of the world's third largest operational nuclear power plant. 161 Table 1 summarizes the required electrode area, quantity and energy if each eDOC prototype is scaled up to 1 MtCO 2 year À1 at their current performance.…”

Opinion on ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

“…In these three regions, performance metrics for different forms of cycle (closed, regenerative, Kalina, open-ended, and comprehensive cycles), with various working fluids, have been calculated for each plant under equivalent conditions. In these calculations, the regenerative cycle with R-134a stood out, with efficiencies of 5.21%, 5.15%, and 4.83% in each of the regions, respectively (Park, S. S., 2015). Moreover, a novel GeOTEC cycle combining geothermal waste energy (as a heat source for the super heater) with OTEC has been suggested (Mohd I., 2017).…”

Simulated production of electric power and desalination using Solar-OTEC hybrid system

“…Particularly, in Korea's case, a good solar energy resource is distributed to the south and east coast areas (global solar radiation is above 4500 MJ). Also, the characteristic of temperature distribution in the East Sea has kept approximately 1 °C . These are great conditions to apply the Solar‐OTEC hybrid system.…”

“…Faizal and Ahmed [18] reported the ocean heat budget for OTEC systems. Kim et al and Park et al [19,20] examined the thermodynamic performance of an OTEC plant by using the condenser effluent from a nuclear power plant. Despite such encouraging beginnings, OTEC, due to high initial investment cost and a shortage of data justifying that investment, has not been commercialized [9,21].…”