Research progress is reported on developing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems that will provide synthetic fuels (e.g., methanol), energy-intensive products such as ammonia (for fertilizers and chemicals), and aluminum. The work also includes assessment and design concepts for hybrid plants, such as geothermal-OTEC (GEOTEC) plants. Another effort that began in the spring of 1982 is a technical advisory role to DOE with respect to their management of the conceptual design activity of the two industry teams that are designing offshore OTEC pilot plants that could deliver power to Oahu, Hawaii. In addition, a program is underway in which tests of a different kind of ocean-energy device, a turbine that is air-driven as a result of wave action in a chamber, are being planned. This Quarterly Report summarizes the work on the various tasks as of 31 December 1982.

We have analyzed the Fe/H ratios in the peaks of high speed streams (HSS) during the decline of Solar Cycle 20 and the following minimum (October 1972 to December 1976). We utilized the response of the 50 to 200 keV ion channel of the APL/JHU energetic particle experiment (EPE) onIMP-7 and 8 to solar wind iron ions at high solar wind speeds (V greater than or equal to 600 km sec/sup -1/), and compared our Fe measurements with solar wind H and He parameters from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) instruments on the same spacecraft. In general, the Fe distribution parameters (bulk velocity, flow direction, temperature) are found to be similar to the LANL He parameters. Although the average Fe/H ration in many steady HSS peaks agrees within observational uncertainties with the nominal coronal ratio of 4.7 x 10/sup -5/, abundance variations of a factor of up to 6 are obtained across a given coronal-hole associated HSS. There are, as well, factor of 2 variations between stream-averaged abundances for recurent HSS emanating from different coronal holes occurring on the sun on the same solar rotation. flare-related solar wind streams sometimes show Fe/H ratios enhanced by factors of 4 to …

The Geothermal Resources Interactive Temporal Simulation (GRITS) model is a computer code designed to estimate the costs of geothermal energy systems. The interactive program allows the user to vary resource, demand, and financial parameters to observe their effects on delivered costs of direct-use geothermal energy. Due to the large number and interdependent nature of the variables that influence these costs, the variables can be handled practically only through computer modeling. This report documents a sensitivity analysis of the cost of direct-use geothermal energy where each major element is varied to measure the responsiveness of cost to changes in that element. It is hoped that this analysis will assist those persons interested in geothermal energy to understand the most significant cost element as well as those individuals interested in using the GRITS program in the future.