Potential of Proposed Open-Cycle OTEC Experiments to Achieve Net Power

Researchers at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) conducted systems analysis studies to determine the potential of various experiments to produce net power using the Claude open-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power system. The proposed experiment test site is to be the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii at Keahole Point. We found that net power is unlikely to be produced in experiment sizes that use less than about 193 kg/s (3000 gpm) of cold water, and that flow rates of 420 kg/s (6500 gpm) are necessary to achieve a net-power production of at least one-half the gross-power output of the experiment.