Increasing the efficiency of supplemented ocean thermal energy conversion (SOTEC) systems

• US 8,991,182 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Green Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US12/857,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 606412-64115, 126/56, 126/567, 126/680, 126704-711
• US Class Current: 60/641.7
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 5/02 used in regenerative installation
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/14 using wave energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/003 having a Rankine cycle F03G6/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/0055 having other power cycles, e.g. Stirling or transcritical, supercritical cycles; combined with other power sources, e.g. wind, gas or nuclear
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/067 Binary cycle plants where the fluid from the solar collector heats the working fluid via a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/127 Over-night operation
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/05 Ocean thermal energy conversion, i.e. OTEC
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/70 in combination with
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/10 the working fluids forming pools or ponds
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/40 in absorbing elements surrounded by transparent enclosures, e.g. evacuated solar collectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 10/501 having conduits of plastic material
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 23/30 with lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/54 using evacuated elements
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 80/56 characterised by means for preventing heat loss
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/44 Heat exchange systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49355 Solar energy device making

Abstract

A system and method for increasing the efficiency of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) system is described. In some examples, the system collects thermal energy using a solar collector, warms ocean water located within the solar collector, and provides the warmed water to an OTEC system, such as to a vaporizer of a heat engine. In some examples, the OTEC system provides electricity and other energy to another system, creating a cycle of sustainable economic development of energy and resources.

Claims

1. An ocean thermal energy conversion system, the system comprising:

a vaporizer configured to receive water from an ocean and vaporize a working fluid using the received water;

a condenser configured to receive water from an area of the ocean lower than the surface area of the ocean and condense vaporized working fluid;

a working fluid passageway, coupled to the vaporizer and the condenser, configured to provide the working fluid to the vaporizer and receive the working fluid from the condenser;

a turbine, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to generate electricity using the vaporized working fluid; and

a solar collector assembly, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to provide water to the vaporizer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the water of the surface area of the ocean, the solar collector assembly including a channel configured to receive ocean water into the solar collector assembly and hold the received ocean water within the solar collector assembly, a solar energy trapping portion surrounding the channel and configured to heat the received ocean water, the solar energy trapping portion configured to be at least partially filled with a gas having a lower thermal conductivity than air to prevent evaporative cooling of the water and the trapped solar energy, and a coupling portion configured to transport the heated ocean water to an ocean thermal energy conversion system, wherein the solar energy trapping portion is formed of a thin film polymer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar collector comprises:

a web assembly configured to trap solar energy; and

a channel within the web assembly configured to;

receive the water from the surface area of the ocean;

warm the water received from the surface area of the ocean; and

transport the received water to the vaporizer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar collector comprises:

a channel configured to hold water received from the surface area of the ocean; and

an insulated air space at least partially surrounding the channel and configured to capture solar energy in order to raise the temperature of the water held by the channel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the solar collector is a spiral shaped solar collector.

5. An ocean thermal energy conversion system, the system comprising:

a heat engine, wherein the heat engine is configured to generate electricity using ocean water; and

a solar collector, wherein the solar collector is configured to raise the temperature of ocean water received by a vaporizer of the heat engine, the solar collector including a channel configured to receive ocean water into the solar collector and hold the received ocean water within the solar collector, the solar collector including a pressurized insulating space surrounding the channel; and

a device coupled to the solar collector configured to produce and provide pressurized gas to the insulating space.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the solar collector is configured to provide ocean water to the vaporizer of the heat engine at a temperature higher than the temperature of ocean water surrounding the solar collector.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the heat engine is configured to heat a working fluid within the heat engine using the ocean water received by the vaporizer of the heat engine.

8. An ocean thermal energy conversion system, the system comprising:

a vaporizer configured to receive water from an ocean and vaporize a working fluid using the received water;

a condenser configured to receive water from an area of the ocean lower than the surface area of the ocean and condense vaporized working fluid;

a working fluid passageway, coupled to the vaporizer and the condenser, configured to provide the working fluid to the vaporizer and receive the working fluid from the condenser;

a turbine, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to generate electricity using the vaporized working fluid; and

a solar collector, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to provide water to the vaporizer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the water of the surface area of the ocean, the solar collector including a web assembly configured to trap solar energy and a channel within the web assembly configured to;

receive the water from the surface area of the ocean;

warm the water received from the surface area of the ocean; and

transport the received water to the vaporizer, the channel extending between upper and lower walls of the web assembly that form insulating spaces for trapping solar energy and wherein the upper walls are formed with generally transparent materials and the lower walls are formed with generally opaque materials.

9. An ocean thermal energy conversion system, the system comprising:

a vaporizer configured to receive water from an ocean and vaporize a working fluid using the received water;

a condenser configured to receive water from an area of the ocean lower than the surface area of the ocean and condense vaporized working fluid;

a working fluid passageway, coupled to the vaporizer and the condenser, configured to provide the working fluid to the vaporizer and receive the working fluid from the condenser;

a turbine, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to generate electricity using the vaporized working fluid; and

a solar collector, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to provide water to the vaporizer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the water of the surface area of the ocean, the solar collector including a channel configured to hold water received from the surface area of the ocean and an insulated air space at least partially surrounding the channel and configured to capture solar energy in order to raise the temperature of the water held by the channel, wherein the insulated air space includes a depression configured to hold at least one of a stiffener and weight for lowering a center of gravity of the solar collector.

10. An ocean thermal energy conversion system, the system comprising:

a vaporizer configured to receive water from an ocean and vaporize a working fluid using the received water;

a condenser configured to receive water from an area of the ocean lower than the surface area of the ocean and condense vaporized working fluid;

a working fluid passageway, coupled to the vaporizer and the condenser, configured to provide the working fluid to the vaporizer and receive the working fluid from the condenser;

a turbine, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to generate electricity using the vaporized working fluid; and

a solar collector, coupled to the vaporizer, configured to provide water to the vaporizer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the water of the surface area of the ocean wherein the solar collector is a spiral shaped solar collector, wherein the spiral shaped solar collector includes a polymer netting that extends across the top and bottom of the collector to provide the collector with a self-stabilizing operational feature.

11. The ocean thermal energy conversion system of claim 10 wherein the netting includes tie-lines from the netting that extends across the top of the collector to the netting that extends across the bottom of the collector.

12. The ocean thermal energy conversion system of claim 10 wherein the netting is electrometric.

13. The ocean thermal energy conversion system of claim 10 wherein the solar collector includes both high strength radial cables and circumferential straps for providing additional stabilization.