Air-Sea Thermal Energy Harvesting on an Arctic Buoy

Seatrec will collaborate with a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to demonstrate the technical feasibility and commercial applicability of a novel energy harvesting system that converts thermal energy from high-latitude air-sea temperature differences into electricity.  This capability will extend the endurance and capability of observing system elements, reduce battery waste, and support efforts to monitor and predict remote, high-latitude environments such as the Arctic.  The proposed Phase I effort will yield a detailed conceptual design for a rugged and clean energy source that could fundamentally alter the logistics and economics of Arctic observing system operations.   The Seatrec and WHOI teams will collaborate to design a thermal engine optimized for the ~20°C air-sea wintertime temperature differentials encountered in the maritime Arctic and scaled for integration with an advanced high-latitude ice-deployed buoy system. The proposed work will incorporate a combination of mechanical and electrical design work, thermodynamic analysis and numerical simulation.  This conceptual design effort will proceed in parallel with ongoing (and separately funded) iterative improvement of Seatrec’s patented thermal engine technology including feasibility demonstration using a functional laboratory prototype system.  The WHOI team will provide detailed information about the host buoy and advise the Seatrec team regarding specific design considerations and special requirements for transport, field deployment and survivability in the Arctic environment.