Test and Analysis of the Heat Exchanger for Small Ocean Thermal Energy Power Generation Devices

Xiao Wu, Xiangnan Wang and Bingzhen Wang ()
Additional contact information
Xiao Wu: National Ocean Technology Center, Tianjin 300112, China
Xiangnan Wang: National Ocean Technology Center, Tianjin 300112, China
Bingzhen Wang: National Ocean Technology Center, Tianjin 300112, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 22, 1-14

Abstract: The application of ocean thermal energy conversion is an effective method to extend underwater vehicles’ running times and operating ranges, and the solid–liquid phase transition of the phase change material (PCM) in the heat exchanger is a key process for underwater vehicles to collect ocean thermal energy. This study proposes a heat exchanger structure for a small-size thermal energy power generation device and establishes the heat transfer model for the heat exchanger. Simulations were conducted considering convective heat transfer, and the obtained results demonstrated the feasibility of the designed structure. A prototype of the heat exchanger was developed, and physical experiments were conducted to validate the performance of the prototype. The results show that the melting process of the heat exchanger can be completed within 6 to 12 h, the solidification process can be completed within 3 to 7 h, and the heat transfer time decreases with the increase in temperature difference, verifying the compatibility with the underwater vehicles’ working patterns. Moreover, the heat exchanger could theoretically extend their lifetime. The results can provide a reference for the structural design and optimization of the heat exchanger for small ocean thermal energy power generation devices in the future.

Keywords: ocean thermal energy; heat exchanger; phase change; liquid fraction; energy conversion (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: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/22/7559/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/22/7559/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:22:p:7559-:d:1279361

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().