Ultra-Low-Cost Torpedo Anchors for Marine Energy

Problem: Marine energy (wave and tidal energy) can provide consistent renewable energy along all coastlines of the United States. The consistency of marine energy is crucial for supporting other offshore renewables like wind and solar, which are intermiBent. This reduces the need for large-scale energy storage. Few wave energy converters have been commercialized and most are in the testing and pilot stage. A barrier to advancing marine energy is the high cost of one-off mooring and anchoring systems that must be designed and manufactured from the ground-up for each new type of wave energy converter. These one-off anchoring systems escalate costs during the crucial phases of testing and deployment, impeding the widespread adoption of marine energy as a cost-competitive source of renewable energy. Addressing the Problem: RCAM is addressing this issue by developing a turnkey anchoring solution for wave energy converters that can be easily customized and scaled without requiring a complete re-design of the anchors. The torpedo anchors are manufactured using digital design and advanced manufacturing methods from reinforced concrete to significantly reduce cost and embodied carbon compared to steel anchors. By providing a streamlined process for adapting anchors to meet the requirements of specific wave energy systems and deployment sites, RCAM is lowering the cost of anchoring for marine energy. RCAM will be one of the first dedicated concrete anchor manufacturers for marine energy. Phase I Progress: This Phase I SBIR/STTR will see RCAM adapt the design of its torpedo anchor (previously designed for floating offshore wind) to meet the specific requirements of the wave energy subcontractor's device. This process will be an example of how RCAM can quickly tailor its anchors to the requirements of a customerĺs system at very low cost. ASer geotechnical and structural analysis, a full-scale prototype will be fabricated by RCAM. Laboratory testing (utilizing structural, geotechnical, and material testing facilities at the research ins.tu.on) and a subsequent pilot deployment for the combined wave energy subcontractor's device and torpedo anchor system will be planned for Phase II. To advance commercialization of torpedo anchors with various wave energy converters, areas with significant wave energy resource potential and those with geotechnical conditions suitable for torpedo anchors will be cross-referenced to identify promising markets. Phase II Plans: Phase II encompasses structural testing at the research institu.on followed by deploying the subcontractor's wave energy device and torpedo anchor to test in a representative site as a pilot deployment. Phase I and II of the SBIR/STTR project will advance the Technology Readiness Level of the anchor from 3 (proof-of-concept fabrication) to 7 (component validation in an operational environment). Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The anchors reduce CO2 emissions and costs compared to conventional anchoring solutions for marine energy. The US has significant marine energy resources that are currently untapped due to the high levelized cost of energy for marine energy systems. Lowering the overall cost of marine energy systems by lowering the cost of anchoring and mooring will accelerate deployment leading to lower cost and more reliable renewable energy.