MET445- RENEWABLE

ENERGY ENGINEERING

Department of Mechanical
Engineering
MEAEC

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 Module 4
Ocean Energy – Devices for Wave Energy
conversion, Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion (OTEC): Principle of OTEC
system, Methods of OTEC power generation –
Open Cycle (Claude cycle), Closed Cycle
(Anderson cycle) and Hybrid cycle (block
diagram description of OTEC); Geothermal
energy: Introduction, hot dry rock resources,
magma resources, vapor and liquid dominated
systems, binary cycle, advantages and
disadvantages
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 Ocean energy
• Tremendous amount of energy is available in
oceans and seas due to waves and tides, which
are mechanical forms of energy related to
kinetic and potential energy of the ocean water.
• Oceans also have thermal energy due to solar
heating of ocean water.

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 Wave energy
• Like most other renewable energy sources,
wave energy is ultimately caused by solar
energy.
• Ocean and sea waves are caused by wind, and
wind is caused by uneven solar heating of
earth and water bodies and thus resulting
temperature fluctuations.

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 Wave energy conversion
• Waves with an amplitude of 2 m and period of
10 s are of considerable interest for power
generation with wave energy fluxes averaging
between 50 kW and 70 kW per metre width of
oncoming wave.
• Wave energy can be better concentrated than
the solar energy.
• Ocean wave energy is the primary energy.

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 Wave energy conversion
• A demonstration plant of 150 kW capacity for
conversion of wave energy into electrical
energy has been built at Vizhinjam near
Trivandrum.
• This site was selected considering its good
wave power potential, easy access to deep
water, away from cyclonic zone and nearness
to the available infrastructural facilities.
• This plant was commissioned in October 1991.
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 Principle of Wave energy Plant
• The wave energy plant utilizes an “oscillating
water column” chamber and a self rectifying
air turbine to produce power.
• The device works similar to the operation of a
bellow.
• Ocean wave enters the chamber inside the
caisson and cause the water mass to move up
and down producing a bidirectional air flow
through an opening at the top of the caisson.
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 Principle of oscillating water column device
giving bidirectional air flow to unidirectional
rotating turbine

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• The special design of turbine makes it rotate
unidirectionally even though actuating air
flow is bidirectional.
• The turbine devices an induction generator
connected to the grid.

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 Wave energy conversion Devices
• Wave energy is a combination of kinetic and
potential energies available in sea waves.
• The forward motion of sea water can easily be
seen on sea beaches, lashing up to 100
meters.
• In deep sea this forward motion of the wave
strikes the ships, depicting the presence of
kinetic energy.

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• The potential energy is due to rise of sea
water at the wave crest.
• The difference of head between the crest and
the through of sea wave is the potential
energy.

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 Wave energy conversion Devices
1. Buoy type machine
 The buoy is a floating part of a system which
rises and falls with rise and fall of sea waves.
 The buoy oscillates up and down with the
wave, the energy can be exhibited on a pulley
with a string and counterweight arrangement.
 The up and down motion of the
counterweight can be converted into to and
fro motion of a piston which can operate a
machine or a generator.
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Oscillating buoy with a string, pulley and
counterweight

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 Wave energy conversion Devices
2. Dolphin type wave energy generator
• Designed in Japan.
• A supporting structure is built in the sea bed to
provide a firm position for the equipment.
• The structure is erected on pile foundations.
• One generator is installed on rolling motion.
• The gear arrangement with stationary generator
rotates the rotor to generate electric power.

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Dolphin type wave energy generator

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 Wave energy conversion Devices
2. Dolphin type wave energy generator
• The buoy is at the other end of the connecting
rod floats and has two motions, namely rolling
motion and oscillatory motions represented by
N and M respectively.
• The floating generator collects wave energy
from the buoy through a gear arrangement and
continuously generates power.

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Normally one Dolphine type wave energy generator is of 100
kW capacity.

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 Wave energy conversion Devices
3. Oscillating Ducks
 Designed in Scotland.
 It is a float type wave energy conversion plant in
which several duck shaped devices (each 25 m
long) are installed in a linear width-wise array
along a line which is perpendicular to the
direction of the wave.
 The system consists of a long cylindrical spine of
15 m diameter on which cam shaped ducks are
installed in an array to form an assembly.
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(a) Phases of duck motion, (b) oscillating
ducks with a floating powerhouse

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Wave energy conversion Devices

3. Oscillating Ducks
• It responds to the incoming wave with a
nodding action.
• When the forward moving wavefront strikes
the head on the face of the ducks, wave energy
is passed on and the ducks starts to oscillate.
• The face of the duck is designed for maximum
wave energy absorption.

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Wave energy conversion Devices

3. Oscillating Ducks
• Power is generated by the relative motion of
the ducks where the wave energy is converted
into mechanical energy.
• The cylindrical spine transfers motion through
linkages and gears to the generator rotor.
• The overall length of the cylindrical spine
varies between 100 m and 500 m.

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Wave energy conversion Devices
3. Oscillating Ducks
• To achieve a highly efficient absorption it is
necessary to mount a series of ducks on a non-
movable spine.
• If the spine is sufficiently long (more than
wavelength), the angular distribution of the
waves incident on this structure will produce
phase cancellations of translation force
components along the spine and the spine will
remain stationary.
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 150 kW conversion system in
Vizhinjan, TVM
• The wave power available at the site is nearly
13 kW/m.
• The wave energy conversion system consists
of an oscillating water column, a chamber
floating in the sea experiencing wave action
through a side opening.
• The chamber size is 10 x 10 m with a height of
15 m.
• The turbine is 2 m diameter and coupled to an
induction generator.
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(a) OWC wave energy conversion system
(wave rising) (b) OWC wave energy
conversion system (wave falling)

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• The wave patterns are irregular in amplitude,
phase and direction, so the wave energy
devices parameters match the irregular slow
medium and high amplitude wave motion.

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 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

• The oceans and the seas which cover about

70% of the earth are constantly receiving solar
radiation and act as the largest natural solar
collector.
• An ocean as a collector has an enormous
storage capacity.
• Energy from the ocean is available in several
forms, such as ocean thermal energy, wave
energy and tidal energy.
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• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is
a new technology, needed to be harnessed
especially in India where the coastline is about
6000 km.
• OTEC converts the thermal energy, available
due to temperature difference between the
warm surface water and the cold deep water,
into electricity.
• According to MNRE, the overall potential of
ocean energy in the country may be in excess
of 50,000 MW. 27
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Working principle of OTEC system
• A temperature difference of about 20oC
between the warm surface water of the sea and
cold deep water in equatorial areas between
latitude 30o S and 30o N.
• Solar heat energy is absorbed by ocean water.
• Lambert’s law of absorption- “Each water
layer of identical thickness absorbs an equal
fraction of light that passes through it.”
• The intensity of heat decreases with the
increase in water depth.
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• The temperature at the surface changes slowly,
then remains constant at a depth of about 200
m.
• Subsequently, the temperature decreases
asymptotically and approaches a low value of
about 4oC at a depth of 1000 m.
• The difference in temperature between the
surface and the deeper parts of the ocean is
utilised to generate electrical energy.
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• The basic process of OTEC is to bring the warm
surface water and the cold water from a
certain depth of the sea through pipes so as to
act as heat source and heat sink for operating
a heat engine.
• Three types of OTEC plants
(i) Closed
(ii) Open
(iii) Thermoelectric
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Closed Rankine cycle or Anderson closed
cycle OTEC system
• Uses a low boiling point working fluid like
ammonia or propane.
• Warm water from the surface which is at a
temperature of about 26oC is brought in one
pipe, and cold water at a temperature of
around 5oC is brought in another pipe from a
depth of about 1000 m.
• Two water pipes are used in conjunction with
a working fluid to generate electric power.
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Closed Rankine cycle or Anderson closed
cycle OTEC system

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 Closed Rankine cycle or Anderson closed
cycle OTEC system
The operational activities of the plant are:
(i) The warm sea water evaporates the liquid
ammonia into vapour in a unit called an
evaporator. This can be done because ammonia
exists in the form of gas at the temperature
corresponding to the surface sea water.
(ii) The liquid ammonia which is not evaporated
collects in a unit known as separator, which
again recirculates through the evaporator.

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 Closed Rankine cycle or Anderson closed
cycle OTEC system

(iii) The evaporated ammonia is the form of high

pressure vapour is made to pass through a turbine
where its pressure and temperature make the turbine
to rotate, thus converting thermal energy to an electric
generator produces electric power.
(iv) The ammonia vapour coming out of the turbine,
which is now at the lower pressure than when it
entered the turbine is condensed back into liquid
ammonia by cooling it with the colder sea water
brought up from the deep part.
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 Closed Rankine cycle or Anderson closed
cycle OTEC system

(v) The liquefied ammonia collects in an

ammonia sump. After a few hours of operation,
the makeup quantity of ammonia is added from
the ammonia storage to make up for the
operational loss.
(vi) The liquified amonia is then pumped back to
the evaporator, thus completing the cycle. The
cycle repeats to run the plant continuously.

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 Thermoelectric OTEC

• Works based on thermoelectric principle.

• Semiconductors are used to design two
separate packs covered by a thin thermal
conducting sheet.
• Warm water from the surface of the ocean is
circulated over one device and the cold water
pumped from the depth of the ocean is
allowed to flow over the other device.

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Thermoelectric OTEC

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 Thermoelectric OTEC

• The temperature difference between these two

water with the solid state semiconductor
devices generates the electric power.
• A part of electric power generated in used to
operate the pumps and other equipment.

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Open Cycle (Claude cycle) OTEC
• Similar to flash cycle of geothermal power
plants.
• A chamber is maintained at a subatmospheric
pressure by a vacuum pump.
• Warm surface water flows into this chamber,
where its pressure is reduced.
• As the pressure of warm water decreases, its
temperature also decreases, resulting in a
liquid vapor mixture.
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Open Cycle (Claude cycle) OTEC

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Open Cycle (Claude cycle) OTEC
• Low pressure vapor is directed to a steam
turbine while the liquid is discharged from the
chamber.
• The vapor exits to a direct contact condenser,
which is maintained at a much lower pressure.
• Cold deep water is supplied to the condenser
by a pump, and mixing of this cold water with
the vapor from the turbine outlet turns the
vapor to the liquid, which is discharged.

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Hybrid cycle OTEC cycle

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 Bio-fouling
• The raw ocean water which is pumped in for
evaporator and condenser, contains micro-
organisms which stick on the water side of
both the heat exchangers.
• This biological impurities of sea water that
deposits and grows on the evaporator and
condenser metal surfaces, creating thermal
resistance for heat transfer, is known as bio-
fouling.

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 Location of OTEC plants
• The selection of suitable site for an OTEC plant
needs a temperature difference of about 20oC
between the surface and the deep sea ocean
water.
• If the temperature difference is higher the site
becomes more suitable as it will increase the
power output, consequently the per unit cost
will reduce.
• Such sites are available in ‘Torrid and
Temperature zone’ of the globe between
latitudes 30oS and 30oN. 45
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• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC):
Principle of OTEC system, Methods of OTEC
power generation – Open Cycle (Claude
cycle), Closed Cycle (Anderson cycle) and
Hybrid cycle (block diagram description of
OTEC)

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 Wave power technologies
1. Oscillating water column technology
• Transferring the energy of wave water to air and
using the compressed air to drive a turbine.
• Water moves into a hollow container by the
wave motion. This compresses air that was in the
container.
• The compressed air drives the turbine, which is
connected to a generator where electricity is
produced.

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• When the wave moves in the opposite
direction, air fills the container from the top,
which is open to the atmosphere.
• Air flows through the turbine from both sides,
depending on whether the device is breathing
in or out. The process is repeated with the
next wave.
• The system uses special rotor geometry so
that there is no need to change the blade
angles or the direction of rotation.
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• These systems must be large , and many of
them should be installed to produce
significant amount of electricity.
• Oscillating water column technology has been
installed off the coast of western Scotland.

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• Oscillating water column technology can be
applied in three types of coastal wave power
plants.
1. Shoreline power plants
2. Near-shore power plants
3. Breakwater power plants

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 Geothermal power generation
1. Liquid dominated resource
(a) Flash steam system
(b) Binary cycle system
2. Vapour dominated resource

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 Liquid dominated resource
• Geothermal fluid is either available from
natural outflow or from a bored well.
• The drilling cost increases greatly with depth
and the technically viable depth is 10 km.

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 Flashed steam system
• The choice of geothermal power plant is
influenced by brine characteristics and its
temperature.
• For brine temperature more than 180oC, the
geothermal fluid is used.
• This flashed steam is suitable for power
generation.
• Geothermal fluid is a mixture of steam and
brine, it passes through a flash chamber where
a large part of the fluid is converted to steam.
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Flashed steam geothermal power plant

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 Flashed steam system
• Dry saturated steam passes through the
turbine coupled with the generator to
produce electric power.
• Hot brine from flash chamber and turbine
discharge from the condenser are reinjected
into the ground.
• Reinjection of the spent brine ensures a
continuous supply of geothermal fluid from
the well.
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 Flashed steam system
• Commercially available turbogenerator units
in the range of 5-20 Mwe are in use.
• To improve the total efficiency of the system,
hot water is utilised for poultry farming in cold
regions.

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 Binary cycle system
• A binary cycle is used where geothermal fluid
is hot water with temperature less than 100oC.
• This plant operates with a low boiling point
working fluid (isobutane, freon) in a
thermodynamic closed Rankine cycle.
• The working fluid is vapourised by geothermal
heat in a heat exchanger.

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Binary cycle geothermal power plant

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 Binary cycle system
• Vapour expands as it passes through the
turbine coupled with the generator.
• Exhaust vapour is condensed in a water cooled
condenser and recycled through a heat
exchanger.
• Power plants of 11 MW in California and 10
MW in Raft River Idaho USA operate on
binary cycle.

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 Vapour dominated geothermal Electric
power plant
• In a vapour dominated plant, steam is extracted
from geothermal wells, passed through a
separator to remove particulate contents and
flows directly to a steam turbine.
• Steam that operates the turbine coupled with
the generator is at a temperature of about
245oC and pressure 7 kg/cm2 (7 bar) which are
less than those in conventional steam cycle
plants (540oC and 130 kg/cm2).
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Vapour dominated geothermal power
plant

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 Vapour dominated geothermal
power plant
• Exhaust steam from the turbine passes through
a condenser and the water so formed circulates
through the cooling tower.
• It improves the efficiency of the turbine and
controls environmental pollution associated
with the direct release of steam into the
atmosphere.
• Waste water from the cooling tower sump is
reinjected into the geothermal well to ensure
continuous supply. 68
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Thank you

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