Abstract :
The United States Department of Energy´s ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) test program, OTEC-1, used a 2,250-foot long cold water pipe (CWP) comprised of a bundle of three 4-foot diameter polypropylene pipes. At the conclusion of the test program this CWP was moored vertically in 4,500 feet of water, 20 miles offshore of the island of Hawaii. To eliminate a potential navigation hazard, and to recover the CWP for re-use at Hawaii´s seacoast test facility, a recovery operation was executed in September-October 1982. This paper presents a description of the planning for the CWP recovery, including a presentation of engineering analyses used to evaluate and design heavy lift equipment for the operation. Prediction of CWP towing loads is also presented, and finally the successful operation is described.
