A study of OTEC application on deep-sea FPSOs

Abstract

The limited petroleum resources available for mankind have led to the exploration and development of oil fields in the offshore deep-sea regions, especially in light of the rising oil prices. Different studies and projects on the ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) technology, which operates the power generation facilities using the temperature difference between the deep-sea water and the sea surface water, are currently being undertaken. In this study, various methods of applying the OTEC technology to a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) facility installed in a deep-sea area were simulated and analyzed. In the closed cycle, a 1595.5 kW net power generation capacity was obtained. In the open cycle, a 863.5 kW generating capacity and 54.4 m3/h fresh water were obtained. In the hybrid cycle, a 643 kW generating capacity and 55.1 m3/h fresh water were obtained. In addition, the cooling water of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems (HVACs) obtained using deep-sea water cooling was also investigated. Ultimately, a 100 MW OTEC power plant was designed, and the required seawater amount and operating fluid capacity were confirmed. Considering the similarity of OTEC power generation facilities and FPSOs, the conversion of an FPSO in the deep-sea region to an OTEC power generation facility after the end of the life of the FPSO was proposed. It will be an alternative way of addressing two important issues: the need for petroleum resource development considering the limited petroleum resources that are currently available, and the need to ensure the sustainable development of countries.