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Environmental Compliance Cost Analysis (Marine Energy Environmental Compliance)
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jesse Roberts
The marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry has a vital role in the U.S. clean energy strategy by providing a renewable, domestic energy source that can help meet the U.S. national demand by offsetting the need for traditional power sources that support foreign dependencies and can have detrimental long-term impacts on the environment that put the U.S. at risk. As the MHK industry evolves with new technologies, improved business model paradigms, and expected grid features (i.e., reliability, resilience, flexibility, sustainability, affordability, and security), costs for environmental compliance need to be delineated and reduced to realize MHK’s potential contributions to the U.S. energy portfolio. Licensing, permitting, and other compliance process costs are not well understood; therefore, strategies to reduce costs cannot be formulated and implemented effectively. The important issue addressed here is to delineate and quantify costs for permitting and licensing, including monitoring and adaptive management, and to develop cost reduction pathways and strategies that enable emerging MHK technologies to attain utility scale contributions to our nation’s renewable energy portfolio.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Regulatory Management Process
Research Sub-Category
Hydrokinetic
Status
complete
Completion Date
2021
- Marine Energy
Evaluating Potential for Impacts from Seal Collisions with Tidal Turbines
Lead Companies
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lead Researcher (s)
- Andrea Copping
While no collisions between marine mammals and tidal turbines have been observed, regulators continue to have concerns about potential impacts. Addressing these concerns can improve project permitting timeframes and reduce costs to developers. This project investigated the risk to marine mammals, including the consequences to the animal of a collision and the likelihood of a collision happening. Specifically, project researchers estimated the biomechanical properties of the skin and underlying tissues (in addition to the morphology and mass) of harbor seals; modeled the mechanics and forces associated with collision and assessed the consequences to tissues and the general physiological state of the harbor seal struck by a tidal turbine blade; and utilized information on the behavior of harbor seals in tidal waters and around tidal turbines to determine the risk of collision with a turbine blade.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Environmental and Sustainability
Research Sub-Category
Environmental Impact
Status
complete
Completion Date
2017
- Marine Energy
Existing Ocean Energy Performance Metrics
Lead Companies
NREL
Lead Researcher (s)
- Jochem Weber
This document summarizes existing Marine and Hydrokinetic (MHK) performance metrics known to the United States Department of Energy and national laboratories. This document was updated based on feedback from the MHK Energy community, however, this summary still may not be exhaustive. There are a wide variety of needs and uses for metrics. All stakeholders, such as developers, funding agencies, investors, and researchers, have a need for metrics and their many uses. It is evident that the sector will benefit from clear techno economic performance metrics to guide development towards success. There are international efforts underway to bring the community together to (1) understand what metrics/approaches are being used currently and (2) reach a global framework on the approach to the measurement of success. This document serves to list existing metrics known to the U.S. at the present, and is not meant to represent international efforts or consensus.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Research Sub-Category
Status
complete
Completion Date
2018
- Marine Energy
FOA 1837 Calwave & PSU Support
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Giorgio Bacelli
This project supports CalWave and Portland State University in the development of power take offs (PTOs) for Wave Energy Converters (WECs) using a control co-design approach. CalWave and Portland State University have been selected (separately) as award recipients of Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) 1837, TA2 Controls and Power Take Off (PTO) Design Integration and Testing. The project focuses on early‐stage design of PTO and control systems in parallel (control co-design approach), which has been shown to provide significant improvements in terms of performance when compared to the classical “sequential” approach, when the control system is designed after the PTO. The project is divided in two tasks: Task 1 supports CalWave; Task 2 supports Portland State University (PSU). The main challenge in the design of a PTO for WECs is to provide both energy storage and high degree of controllability in order to tune the device to the current sea state. The approach considered in Task 1 (CalWave) is to design an electro/hydraulic system with distributed storage that allows the implementation of an approximate impedance matching controller at high conversion efficiency. In Task 2 (PSU) the energy storage is performed by a magnetic spring and the control is implemented on an electrical generator. The magnetic spring is adjustable and it allows the WEC to be tuned and operate efficiently on a broad range of sea states. The PTO designed in Task 2 will be tested on the AquaHarmonics device at 1:50 scale (AquaHarmonics is partner in the project awarded to PSU).
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
FOA 2080 AWARDEE Support AOI2 (CEC AWARDEE SUPPORT)
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Budi Gunawan
Projects funded under the WEC AOI will be the first step in WPTO’s efforts to support designing, building, and testing WEC systems in the fully energetic wave environment at PacWave-South. This type of full-scale testing in the open ocean is required to accurately access device performance due to limitations inherent in laboratory testing at reduced scales and in simulated wave environments. Lessons learned and data collected during PacWave-South tests will be used to inform the next generation device designs to expeditiously advance wave energy technologies. However, before devices can be tested at PacWave-South, robust system designs that satisfy rigorous engineering requirements and standards that ensure reliable device operation in highly energetic wave climates (> 40 kW/m) must be developed. This builds on previous open-ocean testing at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kaneohe, Hawaii to continue building the foundational knowledge and data that will enable the performance and reliability improvements needed for cost reductions. The wave energy at the PacWav South test site is on average four times more energetic than the WETS test site and provides the forceful conditions necessary to rigorously test the resiliency of devices. Applicants must propose detailed work plans to develop WEC designs that are capable of two years of continuous testing and operations at PacWave-South test site utilizing the physical characteristics and wave climate at that location. The designs must incorporate the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Specifications (TS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards to ensure that designs are final and fully ready to utilize for future shipyard fabrication and open-water testing via future funding opportunities.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
FOA 2080 AWARDEE Support AOI3
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Budi Gunawan
Projects funded under the WEC AOI will be the first step in WPTO’s efforts to support designing, building, and testing WEC systems in the fully energetic wave environment at PacWave-South. This type of full-scale testing in the open ocean is required to accurately access device performance due to limitations inherent in laboratory testing at reduced scales and in simulated wave environments. Lessons learned and data collected during PacWave-South tests will be used to inform the next generation device designs to expeditiously advance wave energy technologies. However, before devices can be tested at PacWave-South, robust system designs that satisfy rigorous engineering requirements and standards that ensure reliable device operation in highly energetic wave climates (> 40 kW/m) must be developed. This builds on previous open-ocean testing at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kaneohe, Hawaii to continue building the foundational knowledge and data that will enable the performance and reliability improvements needed for cost reductions. The wave energy at the PacWav South test site is on average four times more energetic than the WETS test site and provides the forceful conditions necessary to rigorously test the resiliency of devices. Applicants must propose detailed work plans to develop WEC designs that are capable of two years of continuous testing and operations at PacWave-South test site utilizing the physical characteristics and wave climate at that location. The designs must incorporate the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Specifications (TS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards to ensure that designs are final and fully ready to utilize for future shipyard fabrication and open-water testing via future funding opportunities.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
FOA 2080 Lab Support AOI2b CEC
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Budi Gunawan
Projects funded under the CEC AOI, will support efforts to develop CEC technologies that can responsibly and cost-effectively harness the Nation’s riverine resources, leading to improved resiliency and diversity of the Nation’s energy generation system. CEC technologies may ultimately be easier and more cost effective to deploy in the many regions of the United States, especially in remote locations, that lack robust port infrastructure and vessel availability. But there are many technical challenges remaining before these potential opportunities can be realized. The DOE Reference Model Report identifies deployment (moorings, power cables, and device installation), operations and maintenance as the most important cost drivers for CECs, while suggesting that improving other components, such as rotors and drivetrains does not provide as much cost savings potential. WPTO has previously supported R&D projects that have developed and tested components, control strategies, and generator technologies, and one CEC system prototype project. However, today’s CEC systems still require potentially complicated installation, operation, and maintenance (IO&M) strategies. Successful projects will expand the number and geographic diversity of locations where CEC technologies are commercially viable, while simultaneously advancing the state of CEC technologies. Further, the CEC AOI requires the development and use of modular system designs, enabling CEC projects to be easily optimized for a wide range of deployment locations and electricity load needs. CEC AOI projects will design, fabricate, and open-water test modular CEC river system that incorporate and advance IO&M techniques which require only limited use of port and vessel infrastructure.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Tidal
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
FOA 2080 Lab Support AOI3 WEC
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Budi Gunawan
Projects funded under the WEC AOI will be the first step in WPTO’s efforts to support designing, building, and testing WEC systems in the fully energetic wave environment at PacWave-South. This type of full-scale testing in the open ocean is required to accurately access device performance due to limitations inherent in laboratory testing at reduced scales and in simulated wave environments. Lessons learned and data collected during PacWave-South tests will be used to inform the next generation device designs to expeditiously advance wave energy technologies. However, before devices can be tested at PacWave-South, robust system designs that satisfy rigorous engineering requirements and standards that ensure reliable device operation in highly energetic wave climates (> 40 kW/m) must be developed. This builds on previous open-ocean testing at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kaneohe, Hawaii to continue building the foundational knowledge and data that will enable the performance and reliability improvements needed for cost reductions. The wave energy at the PacWav South test site is on average four times more energetic than the WETS test site and provides the forceful conditions necessary to rigorously test the resiliency of devices. Applicants must propose detailed work plans to develop WEC designs that are capable of two years of continuous testing and operations at PacWave-South test site utilizing the physical characteristics and wave climate at that location. The designs must incorporate the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Technical Specifications (TS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards to ensure that designs are final and fully ready to utilize for future shipyard fabrication and open-water testing via future funding opportunities.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
- Marine Energy
FY2017 M3 Wave WEC SIM SBV – SNL
Lead Companies
Sandia National Laboratories
Lead Researcher (s)
- Ryan Coe
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are partnering with M3 Wave, LLC (M3 Wave) to adapt its deep-water modeling tool, NEXUS, to track differential wave energy by re-creating conditions common on the ocean floor. They will provide modeling support to help M3 Wave better understand how the mooring system for its wave energy converter (WEC) contributes to system dynamics. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Small Business Vouchers(SBV) program, which provides clean energy small businesses access to select national laboratories. M3 Wave was also a finalist in theWave Energy Prize, an 18-month design-build-test competition that produced a technology leap in WEC devices. In this project, NREL, SNL, and M3 Wave are developing a more complex modeling system to predict and increase areas of WEC efficiency of up to 25%.
Technology Application
Marine Energy
Research Category
Technology
Research Sub-Category
Wave
Status
ongoing
Completion Date
TBD
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Contact Marla Barnes at: marla@hydro.org