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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Experimental Validation of a Modular All-Electric Power Take-Off Topology for Wave Energy Converter Enabling Marine Renewable Energy Interconnection

Power electronic converters are an enabling technology for the emerging marine energy applications, such as using ocean waves to produce electricity. This paper outlines the power take-off system and its key components used in a wave energy converter offering modularity and scalability to generate power efficiently. The proposed power take-off system was implemented based on a modular multilevel converter and could be deployed to convert any alternating current electrical energy to a different alternating current for interconnection to grid or non-grid applications. Examples of widespread deployment are supplying electricity to coastal communities or producing clean drinking water. The analysis using both the simulation tests and laboratory experiments verified the design objectives and basic functionality of the developed power take-off system. An acceptable response using a field programmable gate array-based controlled laboratory testbench was achieved, complying with guidelines specified in the prevalent industry standards. Seamless operation during steady-state and transients for the studied wave energy converter was achieved as supported by the obtained results. The key findings of this work were experimentally examined under different load conditions, direct current bus voltage fluctuations, and generator speed–torque regulation. The ability of the power take-off system to generate high-power quality of the waveforms, e.g., against adhering to the IEEE 519-2022 standard for total harmonic distortion limits, is also confirmed.

Engineering↗
DOE OSTI2022

Temporal complementarity of marine renewables with wind and solar generation: Implications for GB system benefits

Wave and tidal energy have the potential to provide benefits to power systems with high proportions of stochastic renewable generation. This is particularly applicable with wind and solar photovoltaics, as the offsetting of these renewable resources results in more reliable renewable generation. This study utilises ten metrics to quantify the temporal complementarity and supply-demand balancing requirements of the energy mix in Great Britain, to investigate the potential magnitude of these system benefits. Wave and tidal generation profiles are created using historical resource data and hydrodynamic models. The results show that the inclusion of wave and tidal generation creates a renewable energy mix which is more available under multiple conditions: throughout a year of operation; at times of peak demand; for multiple consecutive hourly time periods; and at times when wind and solar generation are not available. Three regional case studies also show that the inclusion of marine energy allows for improved regional supply-demand matching, reducing instances of energy shortage and excess and potentially relieving transmission congestion at particularly constrained locations within GB. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed in terms of GB wholesale market operation, system balancing and system security.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

National Marine Renewable Energy Center Upgrades - LUPA

The data provided is part of a power take off damping optimization study. The power take off damping coefficient was swept from 0 to approximately 7000 N/m/s during a single regular wave test with a real time control of the motor/generator. The generated power from the LUPA (Lab Upgrade Point Absorber) wave energy converter is reported by the motor drive in watts. The csv files in this submission are the corresponding raw time series outputs for each mode of operation of LUPA (one body heave only, two body heave only, and two body six degrees of freedom). Data comes from testing in the Large WaveFlume (LWF) at the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory in Corvallis, OR.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Marine Renewable Energy Applications for Restorative Ocean Farming: Kelp

Kelp farming and kelp forest restoration have both been proposed as a solution to locally decrease the impacts of ocean acidification and eutrophication, often with co-benefits to other forms of aquaculture and mariculture. Compared to global markets, the kelp industry in the United States is still in its early phases, with the first commercial kelp farm founded in Casco Bay, Maine in 2010. Since then, interest and effort in kelp production has been increasing, with farms now present in Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, and Alaska. Many research projects are underway in the United States to explore benefits of 3D ocean farming, tackle logistical problems of working in the ocean, autonomous farming, and explore viable end uses for kelp products. In seaweed farming, to remove the stored carbon or excess nutrients from the system, the biomass needs to be harvested at the optimal time to avoid the release of CO 2 that comes with decomposition. Timing of the harvest is also important for maximum crop yield, which can vary based on the final product. Additional monitoring needs can include a variety of water quality metrics, growth measurements, and visuals to ensure the health of the farm, comply with permits, support operations and maintenance functions. The variables measured may vary by desired end use of the product, location of farm, and operational design. Monitoring all of these parameters requires specialized devices that can be costly and challenging to maintain. Monitoring devices often face power and logistical constraints that could prevent kelp farmers from adopting these technologies or receiving accurate, efficient monitoring to assess ecosystem benefits and valuation. Marine energy has been identified as a possible power source for these devices. This project investigates the power needs for conducting kelp farm environmental monitoring compared with the available marine energy resource to evaluate if locally generated ocean energy could provide a solution to these monitoring challenges and benefit kelp farmers. This process was structured as follows: 1. Define what data is needed for farmers and their communities through desk research and interviews with end users. 2. Identify sensors and power requirements currently in use or available for commercial purchase. 3. Analyze current kelp and other mariculture farm locations for the potential marine energy resource. 4. Analyze farm designs and associated structures to make recommendations for marine energy design. 5. Quantify value that investment in sensors could provide in terms of carbon credit possibilities.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report, Chapter 5: Stakeholder Engagement for Marine Renewable Energy

Stakeholder engagement is a critical piece of any new development project that affects public or private interests. Effective, thoughtful engagement and participatory activities early in the planning process of a project can help planners and project developers understand local concerns, adjust designs to avoid negative environmental impacts, select the best site for a project, answer questions, reduce delay, enhance opportunities and benefits, and build support for a project (Cuppen et al. 2016; Portman 2009; Wiersma & DevineWright 2014). On the other hand, cursory or inadequate engagement that is viewed as “checking the box” or tokenism is unlikely to be effective, and can result in project failures, diminished trust, strong opposition, or costly, drawn-out processes (Butcher & MacLennan 2020; Garard & Kowarsch 2017; Gill & Rand 2022; Jolivet & Heiskanen 2010; Pizzi et al. 2021; Sterling et al. 2017).

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Anchoring Strategies for Marine Renewable Energy at the Sandia Water Impact Facility

This report documents the formulation and preliminary analysis of potential anchoring strategies for use in future WEC testing at the Sandia Water Impact Facility given the existing 5-ton and 10-ton concrete blocks at the facility. Three anchoring strategies are created that are applicable to different mooring configurations for existing WECs of interest for testing. The three anchoring strategies have a maximum allowable load of between 24.57 kN and 281.17 kN, depending on whether the 5-ton or 10-ton blocks are used, with Strategy 3 with 10-ton blocks having the highest allowable load. The AquaHarmonics and CalWave xWave WECs can be tested up to a 1:1.5 and 1:1.15 scale, respectively, while maintaining a mooring configuration very close to the one used in ocean deployment. The requirements for the mooring lines, shackles, and triplates needed to support the three strategies are also calculated, with commercially available products specified. Finally, the padeyes connected to the existing concrete blocks are assessed and determined to be satisfactory for the loading expected with these anchoring strategies.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Subcomponent Validation of Composite Joints for Marine Energy Structures

The Marine Energy Advanced Materials project addresses the barriers and uncertainties facing marine renewable energy developers in using composite materials for load-bearing structures. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, the multiyear project comprises of collaborators from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Sandia National Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Montana State University (MSU), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and industry stakeholders. As part of the Marine Energy Advanced Materials project, marine renewable energy industry surveys and assessments were conducted to identify key materials and knowledge gaps that hinder the adoption of composite materials in marine renewable energy structures. Specific knowledge gaps highlighted for composite materials were environmental effects, fatigue strengths, and bonded and bolted interconnects (composite/composite and composite/metal). It was concluded that many of these gaps could be addressed through subcomponent validation; consequently, a program was developed at NREL with the goals of developing subcomponent validation methods for appropriate marine energy materials, which would improve the understanding of design allowables for full-scale structural components and joints. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce timelines and costs associated with full-scale structural validation efforts while also providing near-net-scale static and fatigue data of composite/metal subcomponents for marine renewable energy systems. To approach these goals, a testing program was developed at NREL to investigate a variety of materials and structural design details at the subcomponent scale to understand (a) the effects of harsh and corrosive marine energy environments and (b) the static and fatigue strengths of the complex geometries. The recent study from this testing program is perhaps the largest that has ever been conducted with respect to specimen scale and geographic diversity of underwater environmental conditions that the specimens were subjected to. A variety of specimen geometries were designed by NREL to highlight key features of multimaterial (composite/composite or metal/composite) interconnects that may be used in marine renewable energy structural designs. The designs used several different composite matrices, adhesives, and marine-grade steels, which were highlighted in the surveys as being the most appropriate for harsh marine environments. Composite panels were then manufactured at MSU, and were subsequently manufactured into test specimens by NREL. The specimens were shipped to FAU and PNNL for conditioning in ocean water tanks at various temperatures for an extended period. The specimens were then returned to NREL for structural validation. This presentation will provide an overview of recent advances within the testing program in terms of specimen design and test methods, and will discuss results and key findings of the subcomponent testing program to date at NREL.

adhesives↗
DOE OSTI2022

Offshore Testing Facility – Small Scale Turbine Testing and Development Final Technical Report

In July 2010 funding for an award was made available under contract DE-EE0004200 which is the focus of this report. Under this funding, The U.S. Department of Energy’s (USDOE) designated Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) state of Florida marine renewable energy focused Center of Excellence for Ocean Energy Technology as the Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC). The award was advertised in 2008, when the USDOE Wind and Water Program issued a funding opportunity announcement (DE-PS36-08GO98030) to establish university-led National Marine Renewable Energy Centers (NMRECs). Although FAU was selected for this opportunity, funding did not become available until 2010 at which time three of the original five years of performance remained and scope was adjusted accordingly. This award was divided into two phases. The first phase focused on marine energy turbine system enhancement and research while the second phase aimed to advance offshore capabilities and testing opportunities for small-scale demonstration turbines. The project’s objective was to increase the nation’s capabilities, knowledge, and competitiveness with respect to ocean current energy technology. This project successfully achieved these goals by advancing marine energy technology testing opportunities and capabilities. This report details these accomplishments by phase and task. Descriptions include any relevant results, challenges, achievements, and outcomes. Additional intellectual products and publications are listed in the Appendix where detailed technical explanations can be found. Further, because this award designated SNMREC as a USDOE center, it challenges FAU to continue providing value for the marine energy sector in the long term. The direct accomplishments of this project, though noteworthy, are also the seeds for a greater partnership between the USDOE and FAU. SNMREC, leveraging its designation as an NMREC under this award, will expand these contributions for decades to come as a coordinated sustainable program that can serve the marine energy sector’s needs as they arise.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Powering Arctic Observations with Marine Energy

Energy derivation from renewable marine sources is a rapidly expanding field of research with large and small-scale applications. Large-scale applications such as tidal turbines supplying grid scale power are under development in several locations around the world but small-scale applications such as powering ocean observations with renewable energy have not received the same attention. Ocean observations such as temperature measurements are becoming increasingly valuable, especially in the Arctic where the effects of climate change are most dramatic. The marine environment of the Arctic poses unique opportunities and challenges for powering observations with renewable energy, and the technology to power sensors operating in the Arctic with marine renewable energy does not exist yet. This report discusses the power usage and requirements of instruments currently being used in the Arctic and how marine renewable energy could be used to power these instruments. Wave motion, tidal currents, and thermal gradients all are explored as having potential to be used for energy extraction and the powering of sensors at sea. These resources are investigated for Arctic locations and recommendations are made for future studies of specific use cases.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ocean Energy: Markets - Currency - Impact. Dimension of & Choices in the Technology Development Space: Preprint

This paper presents considerations of the employment of ocean wave energy to support different energy demand side applications. The key aspect in these considerations is the wave energy supported achievable positive impact and associated tangible contribution in service of common societal good and of the natural commons. The level of impact that can be delivered is dependent on both, the level of contribution of the supported energy use application, and the compatibility and unique suitability of the wave energy resource and its characteristics with the needs of the application. Thus, a variety of ocean wave energy markets, the key value indicators or "currency' in which these markets trade the value delivered and the achievable positive impact, are reflected upon. Ocean wave energy supported acquisition of high quality ocean system data across a wide spectrum of system properties is identified as a highly impactful application enabling and/or improving a comprehensive range of impactful ocean system activities. The technology development process towards these markets and desired impacts requires relevant technology development progress guidance and metrics. Going beyond technology readiness levels and technology performance levels, the notion of further technology development progress scales towards high impact and high contribution are proposed. These scales and the associated technology properties can be regarded as additional technology development dimensions to span-up the technology development space in which desired system capability and functional requirement choices and subsequent ideation, innovation, research and technology development decisions can and are to be made.

data market↗