Remote operation system including simulator function for OTEC plant

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is an electric power generation system which uses temperature difference between warm seawater at surface and cold seawater in depth. OTEC plants are often set up on the ocean or isolated areas, therefore, remote operation of the OTEC plant is required. In this study, the remote operation system of an OTEC plant is proposed. The proposed remote operation system includes simulator function of the OTEC plant, and the simulation model and the actual OTEC plant can be exchanged. By using the proposed remote operation system, both the simulation model and the OTEC plant can be operated from distant place through the Internet. The proposed remote operation system is verified by an actual OTEC basic experimental equipment.