CX-100882 Model Validation and Site Characterization for Early Deployment MHK Sites and Establishment of Wave Classification Scheme – Tidal Instrumentation Deployment in Washington

Model Validation and Site Characterization for Early Deployment MHK Sites and Establishment of Wave Classification Scheme – Tidal Instrumentation Deployment in Washington
Award Number: DE-AC36-08GO28308
CX(s) Applied: B3.16
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Location(s): WA
Office(s): Golden Field Office

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide funding to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to collect tidal resource data at three locations within the Salish Sea of Washington state. Proposed activities would include: data analysis, project management actions for an experienced subcontractor to develop a deployment and retrieval plan, obtaining necessary permits and approvals, and deployment and recovery of the instruments.

The proposed deployment locations are: Tacoma Narrows: 47.28N, 122.55W, 35 m water depth; Rosario Strait: 48.58N, 122.75W, 60 m water depth; and Bellingham Channel: 48.56N. 122.66W, 75m water depth. Two StableMoor buoys (SMBs) would be deployed to measure tidal turbulence using water current meters (ADV-IMUs) and water current profilers (ADCPs). The ADV-IMU sensor emits high frequency, low amplitude sound waves and processes small volumes of water to measure water velocity. The sensor would be mounted on the top of the SMB. The ADCP sensor uses four acoustic beams to determine changes in current. The acoustic frequencies would be between 300 kHz and 1200 kHz. The ADCP sensor would be mounted on the bottom of the SMB, facing downward. One SMB would support 2 ADV-IMUs and 2 ADCPs, and the other SMB would support 1 ADV-IMU and 2 ADCPs. Both SMBs would be deployed at the Tacoma Narrows location, and only one SMB would be deployed at the Rosario Strait and Bellingham Channel locations. The SMBs would be deployed for 3 to 5 days.