US Department of Energy Funds Marine Energy Project

The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $ 12 million in 12 hydro and ocean energy projects as part of its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Selected by DOE’s Hydrotechnology Office, these SME-led projects will drive innovation in hydropower technology to the Biden administration’s goal of a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Contribute.

The 12 projects have the theme of collaborative development of small-scale ocean energy technologies.

Aqua Harmonics, Oregon, is collaboratively developing a magnetic power take-off wave energy converter for instrumentation buoys. In this project, Aquaharmonics will develop a compact, lightweight wave energy converter with high power density, commercially viable, to power end-user marine observation equipment. Their work includes the design, manufacture, testing, assembly of wave energy converters and their components, and the deployment and testing of instrumentation buoys in the ocean.

Ocean Power Technologies, NJ, is working on a modular, scalable, small-scale mass-on-spring wave energy converter (MOSWEC) PowerBuoy system to provide reliable power to autonomous marine surveillance systems. This project includes the design, construction, and ocean testing of MOSWEC power modules. The prototype is designed to power offshore vessel surveillance systems in defense and security applications.

Oscilla Power, Washington, is working on a wave-powered radar-based ocean detection system. In their project, Oscilla will build and test MicroTriton, a small wave energy transformation platform, at sea. This project will include completing the detailed design and building a MicroTriton system capable of supporting and powering radar transmitters. The system will be tested for several months off the North Carolina coast.

Triton Systems, Massachusetts is working on wave energy harvesting to power LiDAR buoys. This project involves the development of a wave energy converter that can power existing LiDAR buoys. This buoy has significant power requirements and is used to understand the site-specific physical and environmental response to marine and other types of renewable energy development.

Under the theme, a low-cost, user-friendly monitoring tool for marine fluid dynamics sites is the next project:

Hydronalix, Arizona is working on “SEARCHER”, a remote-controlled marine channel explorer and recorder. This project uses hearing, measurement, imaging, recognition, recognition, measurement, imaging, recognition, side scan sonar, 360 degree cameras, fish identification tracker devices and other technologies to fish at various depths, no fish. Monitor invertebrates and other marine life. The project team will incorporate additional sensors and features for image acquisition and analysis. , And evaluation.

Integral Consulting in Washington is working on a dashboard for assessing and monitoring marine energy sites. This project advances the Wave Energy Resources Assessment Dashboard, which is designed to inform the location, authorization, operation, and maintenance of ocean energy projects. The study focuses on the assimilation of meteorological and marine modeling products with low-cost, fast-deployable surveillance solutions.

Marine Situ, Washington is working on modular instrumentation and automated data processing for ocean energy monitoring. The project includes the development and demonstration of modular optical camera systems, imaging sonar software, equipment integration hubs, and automated cloud-based data management systems to create low-cost equipment and user-friendly environment monitoring tools. increase. These tools are based on the University of Washington’s Adaptive Surveillance Package tuned for long-term surveillance at ocean energy sites.

Subseasail, CA is working on ASGUARD, an “advanced ocean and underwater autonomous research device.” In this project, the team will continue to develop ASGUARD, a fully functional long-term vessel with integrated solar / electrical systems and sensors. Sensing capabilities work up to 30 meters underwater and include an acoustic system and an electromagnetic field sensor package that can measure the electric and magnetic fields generated around marine energy equipment.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide grants to small businesses or individuals in many US Department of Energy (DOE) SBIR / STTR It is one of the programs. A person who can form a small business within the required application period.