Abstract As a marine renewable resource, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is gaining attention because of its sustainability and environment-friendly characteristics. The thermal energy potential in the open ocean has been well documented in the previous literature. However, regional potential near the coast is not easily estimated using methods and parameters for global estimation. This study estimates the thermal energy potential of the Aguni Basin in the East China Sea using a high-resolution ocean model. An additional simulation without tide is performed to clarify the tidal effect. The results show that two traditional methods overestimate the OTEC power density in the Aguni Basin, while two other approaches are able to improve the estimation. The OTEC power density in the Aguni Basin is much larger than that in the global ocean, largely owing to vigorous tidal mixing. Strong and sustainable power generation is possible near the northeastern slope of Kumejima Island as a result of the high OTEC power density within a short distance to the coast.

中文翻译：

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阿古尼盆地海洋热能潜力估算

摘要 海洋热能转换（OTEC）作为一种海洋可再生资源，因其可持续性和环境友好的特点而备受关注。在以前的文献中已经很好地记录了公海中的热能潜力。然而，使用全球估计的方法和参数不容易估计海岸附近的区域潜力。本研究使用高分辨率海洋模型估算了东海阿古尼盆地的热能潜力。执行额外的无潮汐模拟以阐明潮汐效应。结果表明，两种传统方法高估了 Aguni 盆地的 OTEC 功率密度，而另外两种方法能够改进估计。Aguni盆地的OTEC功率密度远大于全球海洋，主要是由于剧烈的潮汐混合。由于距离海岸很近的 OTEC 功率密度很高，因此在久米岛东北坡附近可以进行强大且可持续的发电。