Planning for hybrid-cycle OTEC experiments using the HMTSTA test facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii

The US Department of Energy has built an experimental apparatus for studying the open-cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OC-OTEC) system. Experiments using warm and cold seawater are currently uderway to validate the performance predictions for an OC-TEC flash evaporator, surface condenser, and direct-contact condenser. The hybrid cycle is another OTEC option that produces both power and desalinated water, it is comparable in capital cost to OC-OTEC, and it eliminates the problems associated with the large steam turbine. Means are presented in this paper for modifying the existing apparatus to conduct similar experiments on hybrid-cycle OTEC heat exchangers. These data are required to validate predictive methods of the components and for the system integration that were identified in an earlier study of hybrid-cycle OTEC power plants. 7 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.