Five OTEC biofouling and corrosion experiments at Keahole Point, 1976 to 1980

TL;DRAbstract

Five groups of experiments are summarized which were conducted on simulated OTEC heat exchangers at Keahole Point, Hawaii in order to evaluate the effects of biological fouling and corrosion on the seawater side of a heat exchanger tube. Sites and field apparatus, heat transfer, water quality, biology and corrosion aspects of the OTEC experiments are discussed. Six candidate tube materials were exposed during the experiments and preliminary answers to corrosion questions were found. Two results are, first, that 5052 aluminum tubes did not pit, and second, that their rate of corrosion was slow enough to suggest a 30-year design life when the tubes are cleaned with a bristle brush. (LEW)

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