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- Marine Energy
Influence on Structural Loading of a Wave Energy Converter by Controlling Variable-Geometry Components and the Power Take-Off: Preprint
Lead Companies
NREL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Sal Husain
- Nathan Tom
Oceans are harsh environments and can impose significant loads on deployed structures. The deployment of wave energy converters (WECs) faces a design challenge with apparently contradictory goals. A WEC should be designed to maximize the energy absorbed while ensuring the operating wave condition does not exceed the failure limits of the device itself. Therefore, the loads endured by the support structure are a design constraint for the system. Adaptability to different sea states is, therefore, highly desirable. This work uses a WECSim model of a variable-geometry oscillating wave energy converter (VGOSWEC) mounted on a support structure simulated under different wave scenarios. A VGOSWEC resembles a paddle pitching about a fixed hinge perpendicular to the incoming wave fronts. Therefore, the hinge experiences loads perpendicular to its axis as it maintains its position. The geometry of the VGOSWEC is varied by opening a series of controllable flaps on the pitching paddle when the structure experiences threshold loads. Because opening the flaps lets the waves transmit through the paddle, it is hypothesized that opening the flaps should result in load shedding at the base of the support structure. The load shedding is achieved by reducing the moments about the hinge axis. This work compares the hydrodynamic coefficients natural periods, and response amplitude operators from completely closed to completely open configurations of the controllable flaps. The comparisons quantify the effects of letting the waves transmit through the VGOSWEC. This work shows that the completely open configuration can reduce the pitch and surge loads on the base of the support structure by as much as 80%. It was observed that at the paddle’s resonance frequency, the loads on the structure increased substantially. This increase in loads can be mitigated by a rotational power take-off damping about the hinge axis. Changing the rotational power take-off damping was identified as an additional design parameter that can be used to control the loads experienced by the WEC’s support structure.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- Conventional Hydro
Innovative Outreach and Engagement Approaches
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shannon Bates
This project focuses on innovative outreach and engagement approaches that can be applied to all waterpower projects (marine and hydropower) within the WPTO portfolio.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro, Marine Energy, Pumped Storage, Small or Non Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Link
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Water Power Workforce To Lead the Clean Energy Revolution
Lead Companies
NREL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Arielle Cardinal
Renewable water power, including hydropower and marine energy, will play a key role in building a reliable and flexible 100% clean energy future. That future needs a larger, modern workforce—one that’s more diverse, equitable, and inclusive—to power and improve these technologies. And researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are committed to fostering tomorrow’s water power workforce through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and workforce development programs. Through events, online resources, and more, the lab aims to engage and inspire students to dive into careers in water power.
Technology Application
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2022
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Hydropower and Energy Storage: Providing Essential Reliability and Ancillary Services Using Individual or Coordinated Hydropower Plants [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Thomas Mosier, Thomas.mosier@inl.gov
Macro-trends in the grid—increased penetration of variable generation resources and decommissioning of thermal generators in some regions of the US—are increasing the need for flexibility in the grid. Hydropower as a generation class can provide most grid needs, but the level of a given service it can provide varies significantly between plants. The objective of this project is to increase the value of both hydropower and energy storage and improve provision of grid requirements from existing hydropower plants by examining the synergies of integrating hydropower and energy storage. Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Variable Renewable Generation and Battery Energy Storage: Value of Predictability in the Financial Performance of Hybrid Systems [HydroWIRES]
Lead Companies
INL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Thomas Mosier, Thomas.mosier@inl.gov
Increased deployment of variable renewable generation (VRG) assets and lower costs of grid-scale battery energy storage have led to increased deployment of hybrid generation and storage systems. The objective of this work is to compare the technical and financial value of integrating battery energy storage with ROR hydropower, wind, solar, and tidal generation resources. The Revenue, Operation, and Device Optimization (RODeO) model will be used to account for the financial value of capacity, energy sales (including arbitrage), and ancillary services from a VRG-battery hybrid system. Addressing this is important to understand the value of hybridizing resources and which types of resources to prioritize. In this work, at least two resource profiles will be selected for each generation type, and corresponding forecast uncertainties will be analyzed. These resource profiles will be normalized based on total energy produced per year and used as input to RODeO for market conditions corresponding to two different US Independent System Operators. Two of the key considerations that this work will address are: (1) How will forecast uncertainty affect the financial performance of a VRG-battery hybrid system?; and (2) Is hybridization financially advantageous compared to operating the VRG and battery storage independently? This work will provide a quantitative comparison to help motivate enhancement of the industry’s perspectives on “hydro-hybrids” (i.e., ROR hydropower + batteries and tidal + batteries). Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Renewable Integration
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Integrated Water and Energy Systems Analysis Tool Development
Lead Companies
Colorado State University
Lead Researcher (s)
- André Dozier
Increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the bulk electricity system has caused new operational challenges requiring large ramping rate and reserve capacity as well as increased transmission congestion due to unscheduled flow. Contemporary literature and recent renewable energy integration studies indicate that more realism needs to be incorporated into renewable energy studies. Many detailed water and power models have been developed in their respective fields, but no free-of-charge integrated water and power system model that considers constraints and objectives in both systems jointly has been constructed. Therefore, an integrated water and power model structure that addresses some contemporary challenges is formulated as a long-term goal, but only a small portion of the model structure is actually implemented as software. A water network model called MODSIM is adapted using a conditional gradient method to be able to connect to an overarching optimization routine that decomposes the water and power problems. The water network model is connected to a simple power dispatch model that uses a linear programming approach to dispatch hydropower resources to mitigate power flows across a transmission line. The power dispatch model first decides optimal power injections from each of the hydropower reservoirs, which are then used as hydropower targets for the water network model to achieve. Any unsatisfied power demand or congested transmission line is assumed to be met by imported power. A case study was performed on the Mid-Columbia River in the U.S. to test the capabilities of the integrated water and power model. Results indicate that hydropower resources can accommodate transmission congestion and energy capacity on wind production up until a particular threshold on the penetration level, after which hydropower resources provide no added benefit to the system. Effects of operational decisions to mitigate wind power penetration level and transmission capacity on simulated total dissolved gases were negligible. Finally, future work on the integrated water and power model is discussed along with expected results from the fully implemented model and its potential applications.
Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Future Grid
Status
complete
Completion Date
2012
- Conventional Hydro
- Marine Energy
Intelligent Adaptable Monitoring Package for Marine Renewable Energy Projects
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Shari Matzner
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will support a technical evaluation of the Intelligent Adaptable Monitoring Package (iAMP) instrumentation package developed by the University of Washington. The evaluation will take place at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Marine Sciences Laboratory, where the instrumentation package will be deployed for an extended endurance test. During the endurance test, the performance will be evaluated using controlled, synthetic targets (drifting instrumented buoys) and naturally occurring marine biota.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Environmental Impact
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Conventional Hydro
Interconnection Study
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Chris O'Reilley (oreilleycj@ornl.gov)
Small hydropower project developers across the United States have found interconnection procedures to be fraught with cost surprises and schedule overruns. System operators have struggled to understand impacts to overburdened or rapidly evolving transmission and distribution grids. The results have been stranded costs and unrealized small hydropower potential. Though regulatory actions and policy recommendations at the state level have increased the situational awareness, the remote nature of the small hydropower resource remains a fundamental challenge for interconnections. WPTO has tasked PNNL and ORNL with performing a Small Hydro Interconnections benchmark analysis to develop a clear characterization of the specific challenges and barriers developers face in the interconnection process, both as general overall challenges and challenges specific to hydro unit types/uses and utility being interconnected to (e.g., cooperative, municipal, IOU). Technology Application
Conventional Hydro
Research Category
Interconnect Integration and Markets
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org