AI based predictive control schemes or OC OTEC process

Abstract

Water scarcity is a major issue in remote islands, especially tropical newlineislands in South Asia due to population growth. These islands have plenty of newlineseawater to harness freshwater. Open Cycle (OC)-Ocean Thermal Energy newlineConversion (OTEC) is a promising technology in tropical islands for generation newlineof power and freshwater from seawater. This OTEC technology uses the newlinetemperature gradient between warm surface sea water and cold deep-sea water newlinefor OTEC power and freshwater. The key factors affecting the OTEC yields newlineinclude cold water temperature, warm water temperature, warm water flow newlinerate, cold water flow rate, vacuum pressure etc. Optimizing the process newlineoperation to maximize the freshwater and electricity generation and automation newlineof controlled variables are very essential for operating OTEC powered-Low newlineTemperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD). newlineIn recent years, OTEC research has been focused on optimization of the newlineprocess parameters and automation of the OTEC plant for improvement of newlineefficiency with advanced techniques, Models of the plant play a significant role newlinein model-based control schemes. The major components of OC-OTEC plant newlineare : i) Flash evaporator, ii) Turbine-generator iii) Condenser and iv) Vacuum newlinepump. Development of physics-based models for each component of the OTEC newlineis very difficult due to highly non-linear and complex dynamics, while data newlinedriven model-based computational models can provide higher accuracy and newlineability to capture complex dynamics if accurate data is available. In OC-OTEC newlineplant operation, warm water flow rate and cold water flow rate are commonly newlineused as manipulated variables for control of power and freshwater generation. newlineThe temperature difference between surface seawater and deep seawater should newlinebe maintained at 20°C for achievement of maximum OTEC power. However, newlineseasonal changes have a serious effect on the performance of OTEC plants by newlineinfluencing Sea Surface Temperature (SST). newline