Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Enabling Power at Sea: Opportunities for Expanded Ocean Observations through Marine Renewable Energy Integration

The blue economy is a dynamic and rapidly growing movement that captures the interplay between economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the ocean and encompasses numerous maritime sectors and activities (e.g., commerce and trade; living resources; renewable energy; minerals, materials, and freshwater; and ocean health and data). The demand for ocean data to inform scientific, risk reduction, and national security needs is leading to a large increase in the number of deployed ocean observation and monitoring systems, most of which require increased power. Because ocean observation systems are often placed in remote locations, they primarily rely on energy storage (or in some cases in situ energy generation) to power instruments and equipment, which imposes limits on sampling rates, deployment times, and spatiotemporal resolution of data. The U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office is exploring the potential for marine renewable energy (MRE) devices (largely wave and tidal energy converters) to provide power to support multiple blue economy opportunities. A portion of these opportunities focus on power at sea markets for providing power in off-grid and offshore locations to support a variety of ocean-based activities, including ocean observation and navigation, underwater vehicle charging, marine aquaculture, marine algae farming, and seawater mining. Initially, research has focused on better understanding how and where MRE can provide a consistent source of reliable power to extend ocean observing missions, including operation of autonomous underwater vehicles. Online surveys as well as phone and in-person interviews were conducted with experts in the field of ocean observing systems and observatories to gather end-user requirements, determine energy needs, identify opportunities for codevelopment, and pinpoint constraints for MRE to meet those needs. The surveys and interviews provided feedback on the potential for powering devices and vehicles using MRE, including identifying common themes and challenges that will inform foundational research and development steps needed to advance the integration of MRE with ocean observing systems. In most cases, additional power generation on the order of watts was identified as significantly beneficial to enhancing ocean observations capabilities.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Powering the Blue Economy: Marine Energy at Kelp Farm Sites

Marine energy (ME) has the potential to power businesses in the blue economy. Kelp farms are an emerging maritime market of the blue economy and are predicted to grow, but they are not currently using ME for their power needs. As the number and size of kelp farms increase, more offshore power will be needed onsite for operations, monitoring, and harvesting. ME devices such as tidal current energy converters and wave energy converters (WECs) may be used to supply power for these needs. This article assesses the status of kelp farming in the continental United States, investigates the electricity needs of kelp farms, and examinesthe feasibility of generating the required electricity from wave and tidal current energy. The United States currently has 165 kelp farms that have either active or pending permits. The farms use electricity for boat operations, kelp drying, environmental monitoring, offshore lighting, and the raising and lowering of lines. Most kelp farms are in protected, nearshore waters that do not have significant wave energy resources. The limited available wave energy could be used to power small devices, but WECs have not yet been developed for that application. Some kelp farms are in locations that feature significant tidal energy resources, but small tidal current energy converters that are compatible with existing farm operations are not yet commercially available. As low-power WECs and tidal current energy converters are developed, kelp farms could be research partners and early adopters of the new technologies, which would encourage their broader use by other blue economy businesses.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimize the Autonomous Sensor Fish Device for Understanding Interactions of Aquatic Animals with Marine and Hydrokinetic and Hydro Systems (CRADA 476) Final Report

This project at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) enhances our understanding of how aquatic life interacts with marine renewable energy (MRE) and hydropower systems through the development and testing of advanced sensor technology. The Marine Sensor Fish (MSF) and its smaller variants, the Sensor Fish Mini (SF Mini) and Flexible Sensor Fish (FSF), measure critical environmental stressors, such as shear forces, pressure changes, and strike impacts, that are essential for assessing the risks posed by energy devices, including tidal turbines, hydropower installations, and other MRE infrastructure. Rigorous field testing has shown that these tools are effective in capturing detailed data on turbulence, pressure variations, strike impacts, and other stressors near these devices, providing valuable insights into the conditions faced by aquatic species. Economically, these tools offer renewable energy developers a practical solution for streamlining environmental assessments and ensuring regulatory compliance, ultimately reducing costs associated with evaluating and mitigating ecological impacts. This research also benefits the public by promoting the growth of renewable energy sources that protect aquatic ecosystems, advancing both sustainable energy production and environmental stewardship.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

An innovative SR-WEC for a market-disruptive LCOE

The objective of DE-EE0008630: An innovative SR-WEC for a market-disruptive LCOE was to develop and test a scaled prototype of the Surface-Riding Wave Energy Converter that can result in a market-disruptive Levelized Cost of Energy by a combination of an extended operating window, substantially lowered cost and amplified average power output by simple optimum control. Initially conceptualized as a floating linear electrical generator (LEG), the SR-WEC evolved into an intermediate-scale version where multiple LEGs were mounted on a floating cylindrical body, driven by the need to enhance scalability and improve power performance.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

Extracting energy from ocean thermal and salinity gradients to power unmanned underwater vehicles: State of the art, current limitations, and future outlook

Thermal gradient energy-generation technologies for powering unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) or autonomous sensing systems in the ocean are mainly in the research development phase or commercially available at a limited scale, and salinity-gradient energy-generation technologies have not been adequately researched yet. The demand for self-powered UUVs suitable for long-term deployments has been growing, and further research related to small-scale ocean gradient energy systems is needed. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive review about harvesting energy from ocean thermal or salinity gradients for powering UUVs, focusing on gliders and profiling floats. Thermal gradient energy systems for UUVs based on phase change materials (PCM) cannot provide the energy required for powering autonomous sensing systems because of the systems' low energy conversion efficiency. Besides reducing energy consumption by developing more efficient electrical-mechanical systems, enhancing the thermal conductivity of the PCMs may help address this challenge by increasing the power generation rate of the UUVs. Several other emerging technologies, such as thermoelectric generators, shape memory alloys, and small-scale thermodynamic cycle systems, have shown potential for powering UUVs, but they are still only at the laboratory testing or conceptual design phase. The most advanced power generation technologies based on salinity gradients, reverse electrodialysis and pressure-retarded osmosis, are still not economically viable for large-scale deployment, mainly because of the high cost of the components required to operate in harsh saline environments. Our feasibility evaluation showed that existing salinity gradient power generation technologies are not directly feasible for powering UUVs in the open ocean.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enabling the Electrification of Offshore Activities – Co-Demonstration of Next-Generation Autonomous Offshore Power System and Resident, Uncrewed Mobile and Static Assets at PacWave Wave Energy Test Site

Oceans cover two-thirds of the earth's surface and form the world's biggest and best – yet largely untapped – battery. Ocean waves have more energy density than other renewables, including wind, solar, and biomass, and have the potential to supply 4x the world's annual energy consumption (Masterson, 2022; Zic, 2020). In addition to the impact wave energy can have on decarbonizing and diversifying the electric grid, it offers a significant value proposition in the emerging blue economy sector (LiVecchi et al, 2019). The blue economy consists of industries operating offshore, including shipping, oil and gas, defense and security, aquaculture, and research. These industries require bringing people and energy on site to perform daily work, but current energy costs in the blue economy are extremely high. Here, the prevailing processes are complex, including shore dependencies and fuel transportation logistics. Few alternatives for reliable power generation exist, with the most prominent being high cost and high carbon emissions diesel generation. Because of this lack of affordable, reliable power, the trends of electrification, digitization, and automation that have led to substantial innovation and improvements in the terrestrial economy over the last two decades are slow to come to the blue economy.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

Performance Testing of an Integrated Magnetic Power Take-Off

A wave energy converter (WEC) and the power take-off (PTO) generator system can be represented by using a mass-spring-dampener model. By incorporating a negative stiffness spring within the PTO, the overall stiffness of the PTO can be lowered allowing the impedance of the PTO to be more closely matched with the WEC. By designing for impedance matching the WEC can greatly enhance its power generation capability. This project has involved the design, fabrication and testing of a new type of linear-stroke length and rotary stroke length adjustable negative stiffness magnetic springs for use within a wave energy converter (WEC). The magnetic springs were studied by using 3-D finite element analysis with the objective of creating high energy density and a long linear stroke length. After the construction and testing of both a proof-of-principle adjustable linear and rotary magnetic spring prototype the rotary (torsional) magnetic spring was selected for scaling up analysis. The selected scaled-up proof-of-principle magnetic spring had a peak torque of 850 Nm with a ±45 degree stroke length. By translating the inner rotor relative to the outer rotor, the stiffness could be adjusted to be either negative or positive stiffness. During this project a magnetic lead screw was also studied, and it was shown that by combining the magnetic lead screw with a linearly translating magnetic spring a very long rotary stroke length could be attained. However, as the magnetic lead screw increased complexity and reduced overall energy density relative to a rotary (torsional) spring, this design approach was not further pursed. Dynamometer testing of the variable stiffness magnetic springs was first completed by Portland State University and following this the magnetic spring performance was independently verified by Sandia National Laboratory (Sandia). A WEC analysis when using a variable stiffness magnetic spring was completed by using the WecOptTool. WecOptTool is an open-source WEC optimization software developed by Sandia that supports efficient power take-off (PTO) and control optimization. Wave condition data from the Oregon PacWave test-site was used in this study. The analysis showed that a WEC with a tunable stiffness value could consistently achieve about 80% of its maximum theoretical power production. The use of a tunable stiffness WEC, rather than zero-stiffness or a constant stiffness WEC was also shown to lead to a smaller maximum PTO force requirement. The variable stiffness magnetic spring was integrated into an experimental WEC developed by Sandia, called a Wave-Bot. Sandia successfully completed water-tank testing of the Wave-Bot at the Navy’s Carderock, Maryland, wave-basin test site. The wave-basin testing helped to experimentally demonstrate the operating capabilities and increased power generation capability of a WEC containing an integrated variable stiffness magnetic spring. A WEC capacity factor analysis was also completed. The capacity factor was defined as the ratio of annual average WEC generator power to the maximum (RMS) generated power. This capacity factor provided a means of identifying the ratio of potential revenue to cost. It was calculated that if a tunable variable stiffness magnetic spring has RMS constraints it could operate with a capacity factor above 30%. This is comparable to a wind turbine’s capacity factor.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mission Analysis for Marine Renewable Energy to Provide Power for Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal

The mission of this project was to provide a preliminary feasibility assessment of powering different marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), marine carbon capture, and marine carbon sequestration strategies with marine energy. In this report, carbon capture refers to methods that can separate or capture carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the air or ocean; carbon sequestration refers to methods that store CO 2 obtained by capture methods out of the atmosphere for long periods of time; and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) refers to methods that do both. The project found that mCDR powered by marine energy and offshore wind energy available in the United States could meet global CDR scales needed by 2040 and 2050 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C by 2100. Note that this preliminary estimate assumes that it is possible to harvest all the marine and offshore wind resources available in the United States with existing technology options, and it does not account for the power needed for monitoring these methods, as these power needs are not yet well defined and require further research. Additionally, these CDR scales will still require emissions reductions.

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 OSTI2020

Performance estimation of resonance-enhanced dual-buoy wave energy converter using coupled time-domain simulation

This article presents the modeling methodology and performance evaluation of the resonance-enhanced dual-buoy WEC (Wave Energy Converter) by HEM (hydrodynamic & electro-magnetic) fully-coupled-dynamics time-domain-simulation program. The numerical results are systematically compared with the authors’ 1/6-scale experiment. With a direct-drive linear generator, the WEC consists of dual floating cylinders and a moon-pool between the cylinders, which can utilize three resonance phenomena from moon-pool dynamics as well as heave motions of inner and outer buoys. The contact and friction between the two buoys observed in the experiment are also properly modeled in the time-domain simulation by the Coulomb-friction model. Moon-pool resonance peaks significantly exaggerated in linear potential theory are empirically adjusted through comparisons with measured values. A systematic comparative study between the simulations and experiments with and without PTO (power-take-off) is conducted, and the relative heave displacements/velocities and power outputs are well matched. Then, parametric studies are carried out with the simulation program to determine optimum generator parameters. The performance with various wave conditions is also assessed.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2021

Searay Autonomous Offshore Power System AOPS: Results of Sea Trials and Payload Support Demonstration

As the offshore energy sector looks to fully implement resident, autonomous, robotic, digital systems offshore, one missing piece of the puzzle is remote power generation. Further complicating these efforts are the owner/operators’ move towards net zero operations. Here, the combination represents a significant dilemma for the offshore energy industry: if gensets and topside vessels are not appropriate or practical power sources for future resident systems, how will these needed cost and carbon-saving innovations come to market and get deployed in the field?

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

TEAMER: MADWEC Techno-Economic Analysis

The objective of this project was for the facility to conduct a techno-economic assessment (TEA) of the Maximal Asymmetric Drag Wave Energy Converter (MADWEC), developed by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth). MADWEC is used for powering remote monitoring and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) charging systems compared to other existing power supply options. The assessment estimates capital expenditures (CapEx), operational expenditures (OpEx), and power performance for 18 scenarios with the purpose of identifying key cost drivers, comparing total system cost, and comparing the power performance of the power supply options in terms of required installed capacity and estimated theoretical annual energy performance. The 18 assessed scenarios include two end-uses: 1) AUV charging and 2) offshore remote monitoring); three power sources: 1) MADWEC), 2) photovoltaic (PV) solar buoy, 3) and traditional battery swapping); and three locations; 1) nearshore, 2) far-offshore, and 3) high-latitude). In addition, other project goals included developing high level installation, operation, and maintenance plans for each scenario. The techno-economic model, created in Microsoft Excel, estimates CapEx, OpEx, and the power performance of each power supply source. The model has a dynamic format that allows custom inputs to accommodate future changes to the systems being assessed. This is a TEA for the MADWEC project, TEAMER RFTS 7 (request for technical support) program.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2021

RITE Gen5 KHPS Performance - Period A

Includes Kinetic Hydropower System (KHPS) Turbine performance data from the RITE Gen5 KHPS turbine at the 5 meter size. This data was collected over Period A which was a 39 day span ending on 11/12/2021. This data was collected under the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) power performance assessment. Along with performance data, the data includes setup data, project metadata, and characteristic data for RITE Gen5 KHPS (5m) turbine.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Eastport Energy Resilience Opportunities [Slides]

This presentation offers a high-level overview of the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project's (ETIPP's) work in Eastport, Maine. It covers the project's work to explore microgrid options for the island community; opportunities for incorporating renewable energy technology such as tidal power, solar power, and battery storage; potential benefits and costs for the community; and an estimated timeline for implementing different options.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Control-inspired design and power optimization of an active mechanical motion rectifier based power takeoff for wave energy converters

Ocean waves have high energy density and are persistent and predictable. Yet, converting wave energy to a useable form remains challenging. A significant hurdle is the oscillatory nature of waves resulting in the alternating loads, which necessitate the use of rectification at some stage of the energy conversion. This research effort presents a novel design of active mechanical motion rectifier (AMMR) for the power takeoff (PTO), which provides enhanced controllability and better power performance when compared to passive mechanical motion rectifiers (MMR). Inspired by transistors used in synchronous electrical rectifiers, the proposed design uses controllable electromagnetic clutches in the mechanical transmission to allow active engagement-disengagement control; thus, rectifying the oscillatory motion into a unidirectional rotation for high energy conversion efficiency and allowing the generator in unidirectional rotation to control the bidirectional wave capture structure for maximizing the power output. A semi-analytical computational approach is developed to efficiently evaluate the optimal power achieved using the proposed AMMR-based PTO and active control. It is found that the AMMR-based PTO design yields a higher optimal power than the previous passive MMR design across the wave spectrum. The influences of generator inertia and reactive power are discussed. Furthermore, the effects of control parameters on the power output and the optimal trajectories are analyzed. Wave tank tests with the AMMR prototype demonstrated the effectiveness of AMMR based PTO design and validated the numerical analysis.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

MADWEC Techno-Economic Analysis: Cooperative Research and Development Final Report

The objective of this project was for the facility to conduct a techno-economic assessment of the Maximal Asymmetric Drag Wave Energy Converter (MADWEC), developed by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth), used for powering remote monitoring and AUV charging systems compared to other existing power supply options. The assessment estimates capital expenditures (CapEx), operational expenditures (OpEx), and power performance for 18 scenarios with the purpose of identifying key cost drivers, comparing total system cost, and comparing the power performance of the power supply options in terms of required installed capacity and estimated theoretical annual energy performance. The scenarios include two end-uses: (1) AUV charging and (2) offshore remote monitoring); three power sources: (1) MADWEC), (2) photovoltaic (PV) solar buoy, (3) and traditional battery swapping); and three locations; (1) nearshore, (2) far-offshore, and (3) high-latitude). In addition, other project goals included developing high level installation, operation, and maintenance plans for each scenario.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

TEAMER: Experimental performance characterization of a shrouded axial-flow turbine

Sitkana has developed a shrouded hydrokinetic turbine with a modular, low-cost design that can be scaled to meet the needs of remote communities. With technical support from the University of Washington, Sitkana sought to experimentally characterize the mechanical power and structural loads of various 1:3.3 scale rotor geometries. In all, 11 different rotor geometries were characterized with variations in height-to-diameter ratio, blade number, and blade type (foiled versus flat). All tests were conducted in Reynolds-independent flow conditions in the Alice C. Tyler Flume at the University of Washington. Results allow Sitkana to (1) refine the optimal rotor geometry, (2) validate numerical models, and (3) predict power output for a full-scale system. This project is part of the TEAMER RFTS 8 (request for technical support) program.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deployment Readiness Framework Subtask 1.2 Outreach Report: Common Themes Among Clean Energy Transition Technical Assistance Projects

Island and remote coastal communities face an uncertain energy future. These communities build, operate, and maintain energy infrastructure in extremely challenging environments and pay the highest prices for electricity and fuels. Moreover, climate change increasingly affects grid reliability, resiliency, and, ultimately, the cost of energy. Marine energy could address many of the challenges faced by island and remote coastal communities, but these communities often have limited resources and capacity to invest in complex energy and coastal resilience issues. The Deployment Readiness Framework (DRF) is being developed to support community-driven energy transitions in these coastal communities and to better understand the readiness of communities for marine energy demonstration and operation. Led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the DRF builds on the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office. This report details the results from the stakeholder outreach and engagement effort linked to the previously reported literature review.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗