OTEC Once Regarded as Impracticable
The history of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) goes back to the year 1881,
when J. D'Arsoval announced his theory for the first time. Coincidentally, the historic first thermal power plant was built in the same year.
Many scientists, especially G. Claude and J.H. Anderson Jr., had followed the development of D' Arsoval's theory and conducted a number of experiments of the commercial application of OTEC technology. However, OTEC had been labeled as "impractical" due to the fact that its
own consumption of pumping surface and deep seawater up was so
large that an OTEC power plant could not generate power efficiently.
Nevertheless, Dr. H. Uehara, the former president of Saga University,
had incessantly continued his R&D for commercialization of OTEC technology since
1973 and invented a new system called the "Uehara Cycle."
Thanks to this new invention,
it became realistic to build an OTEC power plant with greatly enhanced efficiency and reduced construction costs.