SBIR Phase I:Grid-Scale Marine Renewable Energy Technology Unlocked by Cost Reduction Innovations

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a novel mixed-mode (wind, wave, current) ocean energy converter that aims to be an improvement over the state-of-the-art offshore wind turbine design. This project will clarify design specifications to target a low-cost product with production scalability. Markets with the largest opportunity to benefit from this solution include US grid power, remote US islands (Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands), other remote islands in the Pacific and Caribbean, and dispatchable power sources for emergency power generation like the Department of Defense. The environmental benefit of advancing the design of renewable energy converters and reducing the initial investments required by offshore clean energy may positively impact both the scope and the timeline for adoption of ocean renewables in the US._x000D_ _x000D_ This SBIR Phase I project will develop an efficient energy converter that drastically lowers the cost per installed unit through reduced weight of product components, onshore assembly, simplified installation, a lower center of gravity, and by achieving a storm rating. When coupled with offshore energy storage, this technology has the potential to unlock energy capture in ocean sites further offshore than is presently feasible. This project builds upon initial concept modeling and a 1/20 scale prototype construction, which validates the weight/power ratio, device stability, and comprehensive analytical evidence for commercial feasibility. Keeping the final cost-to-kilowatt low, while optimizing the overall design will be the major technical focus of the work plan, along with mitigating strategies for the risk of severe weather survivability. The proposed research will approach the design of each component individually with a focus on reducing cost and weight, while optimizing strength and output. Through the construction and testing of a proposed prototype, the team will conduct detailed analyses on scalability, performance, and cost factors that are critical for commercialization._x000D_ _x000D_ This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.