This paper presents steady-state performance modeling and analysis of a novel wind powered system that concurrently exploits thermocline thermal energy through deep sea water extraction in conjunction with offshore wind energy for combined power and thermal energy production. A single offshore wind turbine rotor directly coupled to a large positive displacement pump is modeled to supply deep sea water at high pressure to a land-based plant, the latter consisting of a hydro-electric generator coupled to a heat exchanger. The steady-state power-wind speed characteristics for the system are derived from a numerical thermofluid model. The latter integrates the hydraulic characteristics of the wind turbine-pump combination and a numerical code to simulate the heat gained/lost by deep sea water as it flows through a pipeline to shore. The model was applied to a hypothetical megawatt-scale wind turbine installed at a deep offshore low wind site in the vicinity of the Central Mediterranean island of Malta. One year of wind speed and ambient measurements were used in conjunction with marine thermocline data to estimate the time series electricity and thermal energy yields. The total energy yield from the system was found to be significantly higher than that from a conventional offshore wind turbine generator (OWTG) that only produces electricity. It could be shown that at sites having less energetic wind behavior and high ambient temperatures as a result of a hotter climate, the cooling energy component that can be delivered from such a system is relatively high even at periods of low wind speeds.
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February 2015
Research-Article
Modeling the Energy Yield Enhancement From a Wind Turbine at a Deep Offshore Low Wind Site Through Combined Power and Thermocline Energy Production
Tonio Sant,
Tonio Sant
1
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: tonio.sant@um.edu.mt
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Malta
,Msida MSD 2080
, Malta
e-mail: tonio.sant@um.edu.mt
1Corresponding author.
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Robert N. Farrugia
Robert N. Farrugia
Assistant Lecturer
Institute for Sustainable Energy,
e-mail: robert.n.farrugia@um.edu.mt
Institute for Sustainable Energy,
University of Malta
,Marsaxlokk MXK 1531
, Malta
e-mail: robert.n.farrugia@um.edu.mt
Search for other works by this author on:
Tonio Sant
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
e-mail: tonio.sant@um.edu.mt
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Malta
,Msida MSD 2080
, Malta
e-mail: tonio.sant@um.edu.mt
Robert N. Farrugia
Assistant Lecturer
Institute for Sustainable Energy,
e-mail: robert.n.farrugia@um.edu.mt
Institute for Sustainable Energy,
University of Malta
,Marsaxlokk MXK 1531
, Malta
e-mail: robert.n.farrugia@um.edu.mt
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING: Including Wind Energy and Building Energy Conservation. Manuscript received July 23, 2013; final manuscript received June 30, 2014; published online July 29, 2014. Assoc. Editor: Yves Gagnon.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Feb 2015, 137(1): 011002 (8 pages)
Published Online: July 29, 2014
Article history
Received:
July 23, 2013
Revision Received:
June 30, 2014
Citation
Sant, T., and Farrugia, R. N. (July 29, 2014). "Modeling the Energy Yield Enhancement From a Wind Turbine at a Deep Offshore Low Wind Site Through Combined Power and Thermocline Energy Production." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. February 2015; 137(1): 011002. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4027963
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