Innovative devices harnessing wave motion and offshore winds for electricity may become more durable, quieter, and easier to test, thanks to four new grants awarded to the University of Michigan. With approximately $5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers aim to advance marine energy technology. These grants focus on enhancing mooring lines, reducing noise pollution, and facilitating the testing of ocean-scale wave energy devices.
The funding will support the development of:
- Shock absorbers extending mooring line longevity and powering sensor monitors.
- Balloon curtains and metal pole arrays in the seabed to minimize noise from offshore wind turbines.
- Hardware-in-loop platforms for lab-testing wave energy devices by simulating ocean wave power.
- Standardized testing and a public database of power takeoffs, key components converting motion to electricity.
Contributors include experts from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Labs, the American Bureau of Shipping, and Virginia Tech.
Ocean waves and offshore winds offer immense potential as an energy source. In the U.S., wave power could provide nearly 60% of current electricity, while globally, offshore wind could satisfy 18 times the world’s energy demands. However, marine energy technologies lag due to their inability to withstand harsh conditions. Strong waves often break mooring lines, leaving devices adrift.
The shock absorbers aim to prevent mooring lines from breaking, ensuring devices remain efficient. Additionally, they produce electricity to power onboard sensors monitoring device health. “It can cost around $2 million to fix a mooring line that is only 30 to 80 meters deep,” stated Lei Zuo, the Herbet C. Sadler Collegiate Professor of Engineering. “It’s best to create as robust a system as possible.”
Environmental concerns also hinder marine energy adoption. Noise from offshore turbines may disrupt marine life communication. Addressing this, balloon curtains and metal poles will block noise transmission through water and seabed. The remaining grants focus on facilitating prototype testing of wave energy converters. Testing smaller-scale prototypes in wave tanks limits power exposure, affecting design reliability. Hardware-in-loop platforms will allow engineers to test devices under realistic wave power levels before ocean deployment.
Collaborators include Xiaofan Li from the University of Hong Kong and David Dowling, the ABS Professor of Marine and Offshore Design Performance at the University of Michigan.
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