Analysis of OTEC Cycle Efficiency: Closed, Open, and Hybrid Cycles in Renewable Energy Conversion

Renewable energy resources are considered one of the most promising solutions for humanity to decrease its substantial impact on global warming and environmental pollution. One of them is marine energy resources. OTEC is part of marine energy resources, a system that generates electricity utilizing the thermal gradient between warmer water at the surface and colder water from the depths of the sea. Research is carried out in a general and fundamental manner and explicitly focuses on each element of the OTEC cycle. To facilitate continued progress, it is crucial to comprehend the intricacies of the evolution of the OTEC cycle. The OTEC system has three primary cycle configurations: closed, open, and hybrid. Closed-cycle OTEC systems widely use ammonia as the working fluid. Seawater is used as the working fluid in the open cycle by evaporation using a pressure drop mechanism. The hybrid OTEC cycle integrates features of closed and open cycles, harnessing the steam generated for power development while simultaneously generating desalinated water.