This paper aims to demonstrate how the evaluation of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) resources can benefit from currently available high-resolution ocean models. The case of waters around the main Hawaiian Islands is presented because of its relevance to the future development of OTEC. OTEC resources are defined here by ocean temperature differences between water depths of 20 and 1000 m, with little loss of generality. Using state-of-the-art tools like the (1/12°) model affords the possibility to track changes on a daily basis over a wide area (e.g., to and to ). An examination of numerical data over a time period of 2 years reveals interesting geographical patterns. It is found that average OTEC temperature differences are consistently higher (by about ) west of the islands, whereas the amplitude of the yearly cycle globally decreases from north to south as expected. Better OTEC resources in the lee of the islands are attributed to the narrow eastward-flowing Hawaiian Lee Counter Current. All other things being equal, a change of in the resource typically would amount to a 15% variation in net OTEC power output.
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July 2010
Research Article|
July 15 2010
Mapping available Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion resources around the main Hawaiian Islands with state-of-the-art tools
Gérard C. Nihous
Gérard C. Nihous
a)
Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering,
University of Hawaii
, 2540 Dole Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
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a)
Electronic mail: nihous@hawaii.edu. Tel.: +1-808-956-2338. FAX: +1-808-956-3498.
J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 2, 043104 (2010)
Article history
Received:
January 15 2010
Accepted:
June 18 2010
Citation
Gérard C. Nihous; Mapping available Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion resources around the main Hawaiian Islands with state-of-the-art tools. J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1 July 2010; 2 (4): 043104. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3463051
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