Dynamic modeling of open-cycle ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) systems: analysis and design for process control

Dynamic models for the OTEC process are developed, in particular, for the seawater systems component of the Net Power Producing Experiment to be located at the National Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. Time-domain analyses of the transient responses of the seawater input and discharge components are performed, and control requirements are identified for these subsystems. The feedback loops designed are flow rate control for the seawater inputs and discharge pool level control for the output. For both the flow rate and the level control, simulations show that control of the pump speed provides good regulation of the output and compensation for modeling errors, system disturbances, etc