Optimization Design of the Organic Rankine Cycle for an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion System

Xiaowei Yang, Yanjun Liu (), Yun Chen and Li Zhang
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Xiaowei Yang: Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Yanjun Liu: Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Yun Chen: Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Li Zhang: Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang 524000, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: This study selects five parameters as decision variables for the optimization design of an ocean thermal energy conversion system, including the evaporating temperature, the condensing temperature, the pinch-point temperature difference between the evaporator and condenser, and the working fluid flow rate. The optimization goal is to maximize the net output power per unit area and the exergy efficiency. The final scheme is comprehensively screened out from the Pareto solution set through some evaluation indexes. Finally, this study also analyzes the effects of four decision variables on the optimization objectives and the evaluation indexes. This study finds that evaporating temperature and condensing temperature have similar effects on the two objective functions. However, the pinch-point temperature difference has different effects on them. The back work ratio is obviously affected by the condensing temperature. A small pinch-point temperature difference is beneficial and improves the performance of an ocean thermal energy conversion system. The effects of evaporating temperature and condensing temperature on the investment cost per unit net output power are roughly similar to those on the net output power per unit heat exchange area. However, the effects of the pinch-point temperature difference on the two performance aspects are inconsistent.

Keywords: ocean thermal energy; organic Rankine cycle; multi-objective optimization; evaluation index (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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