OTEC technology is still under development, but there have been some interesting pilot plants around the world. Here are a couple of notable examples:
Makai Ocean Engineering's OTEC plant in Hawaii: This closed-cycle pilot plant started operations in 2011 and uses ammonia as the working fluid. It achieved a milestone in 2014 with the installation of a 105 kW turbine, making it the largest operational OTEC facility at the time (though not the record holder for most power generation). It continues to be a valuable testbed for OTEC research.
Saga University OTEC plant in Japan: This pilot plant utilizes a different approach, employing an open-cycle OTEC system. Open-cycle systems use the warm seawater directly to boil a low-boiling-point fluid, like propane, to generate electricity. This plant achieved a record for net power generation of 120 kW back in 1981.
It's important to note that finding comprehensive and up-to-date information on all OTEC pilot plants can be challenging. These are just a couple of prominent examples, and there may be other facilities in development or that have operated in the past.
Here are some resources you can explore for further information:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) - OTEC Projects: (
https://netl.doe.gov/etd) This website from the US Department of Energy provides information on past OTEC research projects, including some pilot plants.
Ocean Energy Magazine - OTEC Power Plants: (
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/l...al_energy.html) This article offers a brief overview of OTEC technology and mentions a few historical pilot plants.
Some diagrams