- Show all
- Asset Management
- Buoy
- Canal
- Climate Change
- Controls
- Dam Safety
- Environmental Impact
- Fish and Aquatic Resources
- Future Grid
- Generator
- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
- Hydrokinetic
- Intake Gates
- Markets
- Penstock
- Regulatory Process
- Renewable Integration
- Sediment Transport
- Shoreline and Riparian Resources
- Spillgates
- Tidal
- Transmission Services
- Turbine
- Water Management
- Water Resources
- Water Systems
- Wave
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Design Optimization
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Ryan Coe
Wave energy converter (WEC) designs to date—including Reference Model (RM) designs by the DOE and those submitted for the Wave Energy Prize—have followed a traditional design/build/test approach that requires potentially costly iteration. There are two significant shortcomings with this design approach: (1) WEC design theory builds on knowledge from naval architecture and offshore engineering, but fails to fully utilize design/analysis tools for oscillating systems (e.g., from electronics), and (2) current WEC design is ad-hoc, where designers clarify overarching system parameters to define the geometry of the device, then design a control system that is constrained by the hydrodynamics of that previously set geometry. More robust, analytical design approaches, utilizing optimization algorithms, have yet to take hold in the WEC development community, due to the lack of an efficient modeling/control design approach. This project seeks to overcome these critical issues in WEC design by creating a hybrid optimization system that simultaneously optimizes geometry and controls of existing WEC concepts. Highly-efficient model/analysis approaches which utilize pseudo-spectral methods to consider the dynamics of the entire system will be leveraged with this optimization system. Using the tool developed by this project, existing WEC concepts can be optimized for reduced LCOE and reduced CapEx/O&M costs.B) GOVERNMENT ROLE: These projects are collaborations between Sandia National Labs and private WEC developers. These collaborations allow these WEC developers to access unique engineering expertise at Sandia.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Interlink
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Leo Fifield
This project led by NREL and PNNL, in partnership with offshore cable experts Delmar Systems Inc. (Delmar) and the University of Southampton, will accelerate the development and reduce LCOE of commercial wave energy systems by empowering the design and utilization of robust and cost-effective medium voltage power and communication umbilicals that connect floating WECs to subsea transmission lines. This two-year project will utilize accepted industry practices from offshore wind and oil & gas and existing software tools (WEC-Sim and OrcaFlex) to evaluate the lifecycle mechanical and electrical performance of interlink umbilicals (umbilicals), define expected requirements, and make suggested improvements based on a techno-economic evaluation.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Wave Energy Converter Modeling
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Kelley Ruehl
The Labs have developed and released open source codes (e.g. WEC-Sim) that are readily used by the wave energy community and require basic maintenance to support the growing user community. Additionally, the Labs are involved in several international efforts (i.e. international community on WEC model verification and validation, control competition and standards development) which require the continued Lab support in order to be successful. This project supports development and maintenance of DOE WPTO funded open sources codes (e.g. WEC-Sim), in addition to supporting international collaborations through the IEA OES Task 10 code validation, and IEC TC 114 standards development. In FY21, additional efforts also include an overhaul maintenance/clean-up of WEC-Sim and open-source Boundary Element Method (BEM) code improvement.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2023
- Marine Energy
Wave-SPARC (Structured Innovation)
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jesse Roberts
Three novel WEC technology concepts with high techno-economic performance potential will be delivered and capable of achieving the DOE/EERE/WWPTO program goals for successful commercial and economic operation of U.S. WEC technology reaching domestic and global wave energy markets. These technologies will be developed and described up to TRL3 and verified and validated to deliver TPL7 or higher. The Intellectual Property (IP) associated with these novel WEC technology concepts described will be checked for Freedom or Operation and published in patents format to protect against counter contra patenting attempts and openly provided to the US WEC technology development industry. This important project outcome and the subsequent full technology development of these concepts by the U.S. industry to TRL9 while maintaining TPL7+ will satisfy the entry requirements for wave energy into the large electricity market of continental power grids. This overall outcome has the strong potential to enable technology convergence, engage important original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), attract investment, develop strong supply chains, and deliver the required disruptive step-change improvement of techno-economic performance to achieve economic viability and commercial operation – the maximum desirable big outcome. All applied, customized and newly developed methodologies and tools for WEC technology assessment and innovation will be provided to the U.S. industry for their own use. This will enable industry to independently develop novel high potential WEC technology concepts as well as assess and fundamentally improve and advance their technologies currently under development. The labs will fully support this effort in the form of objectively conducted assessments and innovation services.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic, Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2024
Don’t see your waterpower research?
Have questions about WaRP?
Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org