Int. J. Renewable Energy & Environmental Engineering
ISSN 2319-5347, ISI Impact Factor: 0.763
VOLUME 02 NO. 02 APRIL 2014:
Title: Analysis of the Effect of Solar Radiation on Ocean
Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Van Hap,
Geun Sik Lee, Nguyen Minh Phu
Abstract: Ocean thermal energy conversion
(OTEC) can be selected as one of the methods to generate
electricity from renewable energy and to protect the
environment. OTEC produces power from small temperature
difference between the warm surface seawater and the
cold deep seawater. In this study, simulations were
performed to investigate the effect of weather
conditions in the Nha Trang region, Vietnam on the
efficiency of a solar-heating OTEC (SH-OTEC) system.
This system utilizes solar thermal energy as the
secondary heat source. Various working fluids are also
simulated to select one that is suitable for this
system. The results showed that R152A, R600, and R600A,
in that order, were the most suitable working fluids.
The required effective area of solar collector for 20oC
increase in the collector outlet temperature fluctuates
from 42.3 to 82.2m 2 owing to change in monthly average
solar gain.The annual average efficiency of SH-OTEC
increases to 8.2%, compared to that of a typical
conventional OTEC, which is 2–4%.
Keywords: OTEC, Solar energy, working
fluids, Organic Rankine Cycle, Sustainable Energy
Pages:
100-104