Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “HERO WEC”

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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC)

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) is a 6-ft wave energy device that turns seawater into drinking water. It is designed for rapid deployment in disaster response scenarios where fresh water is limited. Featuring both hydraulic and electric power takeoff systems, HERO WEC has undergone two ocean deployments at Jennette's Pier on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in addition to extensive in-lab testing. The research provides practical insights into the real-world challenges of wave energy conversion beyond modeling and dry-lab environments. Attendees will develop an understanding of the practical considerations for deploying wave energy devices and the lessons learned from real-world HERO WEC deployments.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC - Bills of Materials: WEC, RO System, and Submersible Pump

This submission includes detailed Bills of Materials for the NREL-designed and -built Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC), as well as the reverse osmosis assembly and submersible pump that are used in the HERO WEC. The WEC file is specific to the components and sub-components that are included on the in-water buoy portion of the WEC. The RO file is specific to the components and sub-components that are included on the reverse osmosis module that is used for both the hydraulic and electric configuration. The submersible pumps file is specific to the components and sub-components that are included on the submersible pump module that is used feed the reverse osmosis module when the HERO WEC is in the electric configuration. In addition to this submission, an additional submission available for the WEC model itself, including the power electronics enclosure, and reverse osmosis assembly that is needed to supply water in the electric submission. A link is provided below. More details on this project including data, CAD drawings, etc. can be found in the HERO-WEC main page link below. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advancing the HERO WEC Through Integrated Modeling, Testing, and Field Deployments

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) was developed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies as a modular platform for advancing wave-powered desalination technologies. Designed to operate in either a hydraulic or electric configuration, the system enables direct comparison of mechanical-to-water and electrical-to-water conversion pathways using a single hardware architecture. Deployments in 2022 and 2024 at the Jennette's Pier test site in North Carolina demonstrated freshwater production between 60 and 300 gallons per day, including successful operation in wave heights as low as 0.25 m. A structured evaluation approach combining numerical modeling of hydrodynamic and power take-off response, controlled laboratory testing, and in-ocean field deployments has been used to characterize and refine system performance. Specifically, insights from these efforts are now informing the second-generation HERO WEC (V2) to increase robustness and overall survivability. Changes from the original prototype include improved drivetrain components, refined geometry, enhanced control systems, and design. The HERO WEC platform continues to serve as an open-access research asset supporting broader marine energy and desalination development.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC 2024 Hydraulic Configuration Deployment Data

The following submission includes raw and processed data from the in water deployment of NREL's Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC), in the form of parquet files, TDMS files, CSV files, bag files and MATLAB workspaces. This dataset was collected in March 2024 at the Jennette's pier test site in North Carolina. This submission includes the following: - Data description document (HERO WEC FY24 Hydraulic Deployment Data Descriptions.doc) - This document includes detailed descriptions of the type of data and how it was processed and/or calculated. - Processed MATLAB workspace - The processed data is provided in the form of a single MATLAB workspace containing data from the full deployment. This workspace contains data from all sensors down sampled to 10 Hz along with all array Value Added Products (VAPs). - MATLAB visualization scripts - The MATLAB workspaces can be visualized using the file "HERO_WEC_2024_Hydraulic_Config_Data_Viewer.m/mlx". The user simply needs to download the processed MATLAB workspaces, specify the desired start and end times and run this file. Both the .m and .mlx file format has been provided depending on the user's preference. - Summary Data - The fully processed data was used to create a summary data set with averages and important calculations performed on 30-minute intervals to align with the intervals of wave resource data reported from nearby CDIP ocean observing buoys located 20km East of Jennette's pier and 40km Northeast of Jennette's pier. The wave resource data provided in this data set is to be used for reference only due the difference in water depth and proximity to shore between the Jennette's pier test site and the locations of the ocean observing buoys. This data is provided in the Summary Data zip folder, which includes this data set in the form of a MATLAB workspace, parquet file, and excel spreadsheet. - Processed Parquet File - The processed data is provided in the form of a single parquet file containing data from all HERO WEC sensors collected during the full deployment. Data in these files has been down sampled to 10 Hz and all array VAPs are included. - Interim Filtered Data - Raw data from each sensor group partitioned into 30-minute parquet files. These files are outputs from an intermediate stage of data processing and contain the raw data with no Quality Control (QC) or calculations performed in a format that is easier to use than the raw data. - Raw Data - Raw, unprocessed data from this deployment can be found in the Raw Data zip folder. This data is provided in the form of TDMS, CSV, and bag files in the original format output by the MODAQ system. - Python Data Processing Script - This links to an NREL public github repository containing the python script used to go from raw data to fully processed parquet files. Additional documentation on how to use this script is included in the github repository. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2025

Lessons Learned: Summary of Insights From the HERO WEC and Waves to Water Deployments Between 2022 and 2024

In 2020, a team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) partnered with the East Carolina University Coastal Studies Institute to develop a small, modular, wave-powered point absorber desalination prototype. That prototype, known as the hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter (HERO WEC), was intended to de-risk the installation activities planned for the Waves to Water Prize sponsored by the Water Power Technologies Office. The NREL team was given approximately 18 months to design, build, bench test, and deploy the HERO WEC prototype. Since the initial HERO WEC development, it has been used for two in-lab test programs and three ocean deployments. The first in-lab test program focused on ensuring that the overall operation of the device occurred as expected and on validating the operation of safety systems such as pressure relief valves or electrical breakers for load mitigation. The second in-lab test program was the first time the NREL team leveraged NREL’s large-amplitude motion platform to characterize the performance of the HERO WEC. Of the three in-water deployments, the first deployment was effectively an installation and recovery practice with no meaningful wave activity during the time that it was installed. The second deployment was a 2-week effort that enabled both the electric and hydraulic configurations of the device to be in the water for approximately 5 days each. This deployment was also the first time that the team had the opportunity to perform a drivetrain swap on the Coastal Studies Institute research vessel. The third deployment had to be split into two separate installations due to minor damage incurred from the WEC spinning during the initial installation. This report summarizes the deployments, the challenges encountered with each deployment, and the lessons learned for future work.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Advancing the HERO WEC Through Integrated Modeling, Testing, and Field Deployments: Preprint

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) was developed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies as a modular platform for advancing wave-powered desalination technologies. Designed to operate in either a hydraulic or electric configuration, the system enables direct comparison of mechanical-to-water and electrical-to-water conversion pathways using a single hardware architecture. Deployments at the Jennette's Pier test site in 2022 and 2024 demonstrated freshwater production between 60 and 300 gallons per day, including successful operation in wave heights as low as 0.25 m. A structured evaluation approach combining numerical modeling of hydrodynamic and PTO response, controlled laboratory testing, and in-ocean field deployments has been used to characterize and refine system performance. Insights from these efforts are now informing the second-generation HERO WEC (V2), which incorporates improved drivetrain components, refined geometry, enhanced control systems, and design updates aimed at increasing robustness and long-duration survivability. The HERO WEC platform continues to serve as an open-access research asset supporting broader marine energy and desalination development.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1 Upgrades - SolidWorks Models (WEC, RO System, and Submersible Pump Housing)

The attached zip files include SolidWorks pack-and-go assemblies of NREL's HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter), the reverse osmosis (RO) assembly, and the submersible pump assembly that is used to provide flow to the RO assembly in the electric configuration. These 3 models were upgraded in 2023 from their baseline models. The HERO WEC model does not include all aspects of the design (i.e. RO system, electrical enclosure, hose, cable), it only includes the WEC and PTO (power take-off) design. This model supersedes the old MHKDR model submission, linked below. The RO model file includes a SolidWorks (version 2023) pack-and-go assembly of the RO assembly that was used for HERO WEC as it was upgraded in 2023. This model ONLY includes the RO assembly and not the WEC, hoses, etc. The submersible pump enclosure model includes a SolidWorks (version 2023) pack-and-go assembly of the submersible pump assembly that is used to provide flow to the RO assembly in the electric configuration HERO WECas it was upgraded in 2023. This model ONLY includes the submersible pump assembly and not the WEC, RO system, hoses, etc. This work has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

HERO WEC V1.0 - WEC-Sim Model

This zip file contains the files that are needed to simulate NREL's HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter). This requires the user to have already installed WEC-Sim. In addition to the standard toolboxes that are required to run WEC-Sim the user will also need the Simscape Fluids and Simscape Driveline packages. In the zip file you will find the following: - HEROV1_HPTO.slx: Simulink-based WEC Sim model of the first gen (V1.0) Hydraulic PTO (power take-off) that was designed for the HERO WEC - wecSimInputFile.m: Input file needed to run the model - userDefinedFunctionsMCR.m: MCR (multi condition run) script that is needed if a use wants to simulate multiple wave conditions. - geometry (folder): Includes the geometry file that is needed for visualization - hydroData (folder): Includes the required WAMIT data to run WEC-Sim

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1: Design and Experimental Data Collection Efforts

The Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) is a research platform aimed at developing a modular, small-scale wave-powered desalination system for remote and disaster-response applications. Funded by the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), the project aims to advance wave-powered desalination by developing and testing a small-scale, modular wave energy converter (WEC). The insights gained from this project will help guide the design and development of larger-scale wave energy devices as well as the integration of marine energy and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The HERO WEC was initially developed to derisk the Waves to Water prize, enabling the staff to practice WEC deployment and recovery, while optimizing installation protocols ologies, aiming to advance the broader fields of marine energy and water treatment.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1.0 2024 - WEC-Sim Detailed Simulation Runs and Summary Data

This dataset includes results from simulations of NREL's hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter (HEREO WEC). Simulation runs include 135 wave cases that were based on the updated WEC-Sim model, which is linked below. The data represented in this repository is based on an updated WEC-Sim model using laboratory data to tune and refine the original WEC-Sim model for the V1.0 HERO WEC. The 135 wave cases represent waves with the following wave height and wave period ranges: - Significant Wave Height: 0.25 - 3.75m in 0.25m increments - Wave Period: 5 - 13 sec in 1 sec increments Each run was simulated using a Pierson-Moskowitz irregular wave spectrum with a 100 second ramp time, a total simulation time of 3,100 seconds, and a simulation time-step of 0.005s. A reference table has been included to map each multi condition run (MCR) case with each wave condition. Summary data set includes a spreadsheet and image files with matrices that are associated with data from simulation runs. All matrices cover the same significant wave height and wave periods from the simulation runs, in the same increments. The following matrices are included: - Power Abs: The average absorbed power from the WEC (calculated from anchor reaction force and heave velocity) - Power Hyd: The average hydraulic power output at pump (calculated from pump output flow and pressure) - Power - Hyd ROi: The average hydraulic power measured at the RO system inlet (calculated from RO system pressure and flow (pre-accumulator)) - Flow - Pump out: The average flowrate measured at the pump outlet - Flow - Perm: The average permeate (clean water) production - Flow - RO (pre): The average flowrate measured at the inlet of the RO system before the accumulators - Flow - RO (post): The average flowrate measured after the accumulator bank in the RO system - Pressure - RO: The average pressure measured at the inlet of the RO system This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1.0 - WEC-Sim Model (July 2024)

**This submission supersedes submission MHKDR-483** This submission file contains the files that are needed to simulate NREL's HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter). This requires the user to have already installed WEC-Sim. In addition to the standard toolboxes that are required to run WEC-Sim the user will also need the Simscape Fluids and Simscape Driveline packages. The zip file (HERO_V1_WECSim_2024.zip) contains the following: - HERO_HPTO_2024.slx: Simulink-based WEC Sim model of the first gen (V1.0) Hydraulic PTO (power take-off) that was designed for the HERO WEC. This model has been updated since submission #483 based on in-laboratory experimental results. - wecSimInputFile.m: Input file needed to run the model - userDefinedFunctionsMCR.m: MCR (multi condition run) script that is needed if a use wants to simulate multiple wave conditions. - geometry (folder): Includes the geometry file that is needed for visualization - hydroData (folder): Includes the required WAMIT data to run WEC-Sim -HydVisualization.mlx: Visualization script to plot simulation results (not needed to run)

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1 Upgrade - 2023 Laboratory Testing (processed data)

The following submission includes processed laboratory data from NREL's Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC), in the form of MATLAB workspaces. This dataset was created using NREL's Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP) and collected between August and September 2023. Included with this submission is a test log of all the processed data "HERO WEC LAMP test run log.xlsx" so that the user can easily find the data of interest. Additionally, more detailed descriptions of the type of data and how it was processed, or calculated, can be found in the document titled "Lamp Data Description.docx". The MATLAB workspaces can be visualized using the file "LAMP_Data_Viewer_Ver2.m/mlx". The user simply needs to upload the workspace of interest and run the file "LAMP_Data_Viewer_Ver2.m/mlx". Both the .m and .mlx file format has been provided depending on the user's preference. The MATLAB workspaces have been separated into zip files corresponding to either Drivetrain, Hydraulic, or Electric configuration runs representing the respective test cases that were run. The drivetrain runs were used to characterize the drivetrain only (no pump or generator). The Hydraulic runs represent the configuration when the seawater pump is installed, and the Electric runs represents the configuration when the generator is installed. The following sub-categories of data are included for each type: - DW - Deep water sine wave profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - Heave - Heave only sine wave profile - Heave_NoRO (hydraulic configuration only) - Heave_ACC (hydraulic configuration only) - IR - Surge and heave irregular wave profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - RW - Heave only profile created from real world encoder data (not run in drivetrain configuration) For those interested in the raw, unprocessed, data the authors have created a separate submission, linked below. This submission includes the raw TDMS files and associated files necessary to translate the data into either python or MATLAB formats. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC V1 Upgrade - 2023 Laboratory Testing (Raw Data)

This submission contains the original, unprocessed data from the 2023 Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP) testing of NREL's Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC). This data serves as a companion to MHKDR #520. Data was collected using NREL's Modular Ocean Data AcQuisition (MODAQ) system in TDMS format. Specifications of TDMS files can be found on the NI website. The TDMS files have been separated into zip files corresponding to either Drivetrain, Hydraulic, or Electric configuration runs representing the respective test cases that were run. The drivetrain runs were used to characterize the drivetrain only (no pump or generator). The Hydraulic runs represent the configuration when the seawater pump is installed, and the Electric runs represents the configuration when the generator is installed. The following sub-categories of data are included for each type: - DW - Deep water (monochromatic sine wave) profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - Heave - Heave only (monochromatic sine wave) profile - Heave_NoRO (hydraulic configuration only) - Heave_ACC (hydraulic configuration only) - IR - Surge and heave irregular wave profile (not run in drivetrain configuration) - RW - Heave only profile created from real world encoder data (not run in drivetrain configuration) Reference documents: - "HERO WEC Lamp Test Run Log.xlsx": contains specifications for each test run - "Lamp Data Description.docx": provides detailed information about data types and processing methods For those interested in the processed data the authors have created a separate submission, MHKDR #520, linked below. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

HERO WEC V1.0 - SolidWorks Model

The attached zip file includes a SolidWorks pack-and-go assembly of NREL's HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter) V1.0. This model does not include all aspects of the design (i.e. RO (reverse osmosis) system, electrical enclosure, hose, cable) it only includes the WEC and PTO (power take-off) design.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC Belt Test Data

The following submission includes raw and processed data from the 2024 Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) belt tests conducted using NREL's Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP). A description of the motion profiles run during testing can be found in the run log document. Data was collected using NREL's Modular Ocean Data AcQuisition (MODAQ) system in the form of TDMS files. Data was then processed using Python and MATLAB and converted to MATLAB workspace, parquet, and csv file formats. During Data processing, a low pass filter was applied to each array and the arrays were then resampled to common 10Hz timestamps. A MATLAB data viewer script is provided to quickly visualize these data sets. The following arrays are contained in each test data file: - Time: Unix seconds timestamp - Test_Time: Time in seconds since beginning of test - POS_OS_1001: Encoder position in degrees (the encoder is located on the secondary shaft of the spring return and is driven by the winch after a 4.5:1 gear reduction) - LC_ST_1001: Anchor load cell data in lbf - PRESS_OS_2002: Air spring pressure in psi This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO WEC 2024 - Electrical Configuration Deployment Data

The following submission includes raw and processed electrical configuration deployment data from the in water deployment of NREL's Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC), in the form of parquet files, TDMS files, CSV files, bag files, and MATLAB workspaces. This dataset was collected in April 2024 at the Jennette's pier test site in North Carolina. Raw data as TDMS, CSV, and bag files are provided here alongside processed data in the form of MATLAB workspaces and Parquet files. This dataset includes the Python code used to process the data and MATLAB scripts to visualize the processed data. All data types, calculations, and processing is described in the included "Data Descriptions" document. All files in this dataset are described in detail in the included README. This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2022

HERO WEC V1.0 - Electrical PTO Deployment Data and Analysis

This submission includes the processed and raw field electrical data from NREL's August 2022 HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter) deployment at Jennette's Pier for the electrical PTO (power take-off).

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2026

Biconjugate Impedance Matching Control of the HERO WEC: Preprint

Effective control strategies are essential for maximizing the power output of wave energy converters (WECs). In this study, we explore the methodology of port-based modelling which can be used for bi-conjugate impedance matching, a type of reactive control that involves maximizing power transfer by setting the load (PTO) impedance to be the complex conjugate of the source impedance (WEC). Despite its foundational role in electrical engineering, this method has seen limited application in wave energy and has not yet been demonstrated in wave-powered desalination systems. We represent our complex multidisciplinary system as an equivalent circuit to explore frequency-based relations. The HERO WEC, a small-scale, modular point absorber (PA) designed for reverse osmosis desalination is used as a case study to demonstrate port-based modelling for control applications. Improving the performance of wave-powered water desalination systems could play a critical role in addressing freshwater scarcity for coastal communities, especially those in remote or disaster-prone regions.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗