Survivability and Lower Cost in a Submerged Wave Energy Device Award Number: DE-EE0007345 CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6 Wind and Water Power Technologies Office Date: 03/21/2016 Location(s): OR Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
March 21, 2016
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Survivability and Lower Cost in a Submerged Wave Energy Device
Award Number: DE-EE0007345
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6
Wind and Water Power Technologies Office
Date: 03/21/2016
Location(s): OR
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to M3 Wave, LLC. to develop hydrodynamics and structural models that would provide inputs into a sediment model. The sediment model would identify and refine the optimal device geometry improving robustness and survivability. Levelized cost of energy would be improved by reducing capital expenditure and increasing annual energy production.
Proposed project activities would include computer modeling, fabrication, testing in a small wave tank, and testing in a large, university-operated wave tank. Computer modeling, fabrication of 3D-printed models, and testing of those models would occur in a small wave tank at the M3 Wave facility in Salem, OR. Testing of the larger models would occur in a large wave tank at the University of Oregon’s O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Facility in Corvallis, OR. The dimensions of the small model tested at M3 Wave would be 0.5 meters by 2 meters, and the dimensions of the larger model tested at University of Oregon would be 2.5 meters by 10 meters. Fabrication of the larger models would be completed by the subcontractor, Ershigs, Inc., at their facility in Ridgefield, WA and would be built from fiber-reinforced polymer. Sandia National Lab and National Renewable Energy Laboratory would both provide computer modeling assistance. No laboratory work is planned at the federal sites.