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- Asset Management
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- Climate Change
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- Governor
- Hydraulic Forecasting
- Hydraulic Optimization
- Hydrokinetic
- Intake Gates
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- Penstock
- Regulatory Process
- Renewable Integration
- Sediment Transport
- Shoreline and Riparian Resources
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- Water Systems
- Wave
- Marine Energy
Ionic Liquids: Novel Lubricant
Lead Companies
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jun Qu (qujn@ornl.gov)
Current lubricants in marine turbomachinery are typically mineral oil-based, which often are toxic and have low biodegradability, and thus pose a serious threat to the marine ecosystems through inevitable leaks or spills. The ORNL team recently invented a new class of ionic liquids (ILs) as novel lubricant additives and has demonstrated significantly reduced marine toxicity and improved lubricity compared with the commercial baselines. The purpose of this project is to answer critical technical questions for the candidate ILs including acute toxicity classification, chronic sublethal effect, biodegradability, compatibility with marine turbine gearbox materials and other lubricant additives, and lubricating performance in marine environments. Results from this study are expected to establish a solid scientific basis to allow further development, optimization, and commercialization of the eco-friendly ILs technology for lubricating marine turbomachinery. Potential benefits include improved marine turbine mechanical efficiency, enhanced turbine durability and reliability, and reduced environmental impact upon lubricant leaks or discharges.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Lithium Seawater Electrochemical Extraction Technology
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Dongping Lu
Lithium (Li) is one of the critical industrial materials and an indispensable component in manufacturing Li-ion/Li batteries. However, Li resource is very limited and geographically uneven in earth’s crust and its mining is costly and not sustainable. Hence, cost-effective Li recovery (from brines, seawater or used cells) is desired but suffered from the low efficiency, poor ion-selectivity, and high processing cost. Here, we report a novel Li extraction and utilization technology to recover Li from low-Li solutions into a form of Li resource, which can be directly used for battery materials production. By using both Li-ion selective Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3 (LAGP) membrane and low-cost electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) host material, the costly steps of Li separation and refining were eliminated. Li-ion cathodes (e.g., spinel LiMn2O4 and layered LiNixMnyCozO2) synthesized through this approach have high phase purities and show significant economic superiorities (e.g., $12.8/kg for LiMn2O4) over other Li extraction methods and even commercial cathodes ($15/kg for LiMn2O4). This contribution provides a potential technical approach to overcome the challenges of both Li supply and battery cost for future electrification and decarbonization of socioeconomic system.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Water Resources
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Long-Term Laboratory-wide Facilities & Infrastructure Upgrades Strategy for Marine Energy
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Budi Gunawan
Testing facilities and capabilities operated and maintained by national laboratories are pivotal in supporting mission needs of the Marine Energy (ME) program of the WPTO and play an important role in the continued advancement of ME technologies. National lab testing facilitates and capabilities must continue to evolve to meet changing programmatic and technical needs of the ME sector. To meet these present and future testing needs, the ME core national labs, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), along with support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), will collaboratively and collectively develop a long term, up to 10 years, national laboratory focused facilities and infrastructure investment strategy. This project will develop a detailed understanding of (1) present and future ME testing needs; (2) existing infrastructure and capabilities across the ME facility network (emphasizing national lab key assets); (3) gaps in testing capabilities and key laboratory infrastructure; and (4) opportunities for new investments and/or leveraging existing capabilities to strategically support WPTO programmatic goals. This project will also develop an analysis framework to evaluate and strategically prioritize ME infrastructure needs relative to new challenges and opportunities.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
Marine Energy in the United States: An Overview of Opportunities
Lead Companies
National Renewable Energy Lab
Lead Researcher (s)
- Levi Kilcher
- Michelle Fogarty
- Michael Lawson
This report summarizes the best available data on U.S. marine energy resources at the national, state, and regional scales. Results are primarily based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded marine energy resource assessments for wave, tidal currents, ocean currents, ocean thermal gradients, and river currents.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic, Tidal, Wave
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- Marine Energy
Marine Energy Performance Metrics
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jesse Roberts
WPTO uses metrics to accomplish a variety of objectives, including enabling consistent evaluation of device performance in marine energy. Defensible and relevant performance metrics are required specifically for project funding decisions (e.g. FOA evaluations & Go/No Go decision points), shorter duration targeted initiatives (e.g. prizes and SBIRs), and generally baselining program and industry progress. Recommendations from reviewers during the 2019 WPTO Peer Review included further developing the use and implementation of performance metrics across the marine energy portfolio to achieve program goals. The MHK program goals are to (1) reduce LCOE of devices harnessing energy from waves, tides, and currents (specifically, targeting an 80% reduction in the cost of energy for wave, tidal, and river energy technologies from modeled reference 2015 baselines by the year 2035), and (2) support near term opportunities for commercialization through Powering the Blue Economy (PBE) markets.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2022
- Marine Energy
- Marine Energy
Maturation of Nontoxic, Durable, Economical Coatings for Control of Biofouling and Corrosion on MHK Devices
Lead Companies
PNNL
Lead Researcher (s)
- George Bonheyo
The objective of this project is to mature and demonstrate durable, economical, and nontoxic coatings that will prevent fouling organisms from growing on MHK structures. A novel foul-release coating recently developed (initial patents filed in 2016 and 2017) at PNNL, Superhydrophobic Lubricant Infused Composite (SLIC) technology, will be adapted to provide the durability necessary for >5 year protection in the marine environment.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
MHK Data Products and User Community Development (PRIMRE-MHK DATA AND USER COMMUNITY)
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Sandia National Laboratory (SNL), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Lead Researcher (s)
- Andrea Copping, PNNL
- Cesar Castillo, SNL
- Jon Weers (NREL)
This project’s primary objective is the outreach, engagement, and development of MHK data and information communities, in alignment with WPTO goals. Reducing Barriers to Testing‒ Work with agencies and other groups to ensure that existing data is well-utilized and identify potential improvements to regulatory processes and requirements, Data Sharing and Analysis ‒ Aggregate and analyze data on MHK performance and technology advances, and maintain information sharing platforms to enable dissemination‒ Leverage expertise, technology, data, methods, and lessons from the international MHK community and other offshore scientific and industrial sectors (e.g., offshore wind, oil and gas).
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability, Technology
Research Sub-Category
Fish and Aquatic Resources, Hydrokinetic, Renewable Integration, Tidal, Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
Expected 2023
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Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org