U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Water Power Program

Fiscal Year 2011 Water Power Program Peer Review

In November 2011, the Water Power Program held their Annual Peer Review Meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate DOE-funded hydropower and marine and hydrokinetic R&D projects for their contribution to the mission and goals of the Water Power Program and to assess progress made against stated objectives. At the review, approximately 85 projects were presented, representing a DOE investment of over $100 million over the last few years. In addition to the formal review, this event was an excellent opportunity for the water power community to share ideas and solutions to address challenges facing the hydropower and marine and hydrokinetic energy industries.

The objectives of the 2011 meeting were to:

• Review and evaluate the strategy and goals of the Water Power Program,
• Review and evaluate the progress and accomplishments of the hydropower and marine and hydrokinetics research and development projects funded by the Program in FY2009 through FY2011, and
• Foster interactions among industry, DOE's national laboratories, and academic institutions conducting research and development on behalf of the program.

Read the 2011 Water Power Technologies Peer Review Report and the full agenda from the meeting.

Peer Review Presentations

The following presentations describe projects managed by the Water Power Program during fiscal year 2011. These presentations were delivered during the November 2011 Annual Peer Review Meeting.

The below presentations are divided into the following topic areas:

Marine and Hydrokinetic Projects

Technology
Environmental Impacts and Mitigation
Resource Assessments
Markets and Policy
Education and Outreach
Other

Hydropower Projects

Technology
Environmental Impacts and Mitigation
Markets and Policy
Other

Marine and Hydrokinetic Projects

Technology

Tidal

• Snohomish PUD No 1 (TRL 7 8 System) – Puget Sound Pilot Tidal Energy Project
• Sunlight Photonics (TRL 4 System) – Tidal Energy System for On-shore Power Generation
• Regents of the University of CA (TRL 1 2 3 Component)
• Ocean Renewable Power Co (ORPC) (TRL 7 8 System) – TidGen (TM) Power System Commercialization Project
• ORPC Alaska (TRL 4 Component) – Abrasion Testing of Critical Components of Hydrokinetic Devices

Wave

• Advanced, High Power, Next Scale, Wave Energy Conversion Device
• Ocean Power Technologies (TRL 5 6 System) – PB500, 500 kW Utility-Scale PowerBuoy Project
• Ocean Power Technologies (TRL 7 8 System) – Reedsport PB150 Deployment and Ocean Test Project
• WaveBob (TRL 5 6 System) – Advanced Wave Energy Conversion Project
• Northwest Energy Innovations (TRL 5 6 System) – WETNZ MultiMode Wave Energy Converter Advancement Project
• WaveWindFloat
• Direct Drive Wave Energy Buoy
• Atargis Energy (TRL 4 System) – Cycloidal Wave Energy Converter
• Resolute Marine Energy, Inc (TRL 1 2 3 Component)
• Shift Power Solutions (TRL 1 2 3 System)
• M3 Wave Energy Systems (TRL 1 2 3 System)

Instream Hydrokinetic

• Vortex Hydro Energy (TRL 5 6 System) – Advanced Integration of Power Take-Off in VIVACE
• The Water to Wire Project
• Whitestone Power & Communications (TRL 1 2 3 System) – Whitestone Poncelet RISEC Project
• Bayer Material Science (TRL 1 2 3 System) – River Devices to Recover Energy with Advanced Materials(River DREAM)

Ocean Current

• Aquantis 2.5MW Ocean Current Generation Device
• Dehlsen (TRL 5 6 System) – Aquantis C-Plane Ocean Current Turbine Project
• Turner Hunt Ocean Renewable (TRL 4 System) – THOR's Power Method for Hydrokinetic Devices

OTEC

• OTEC Cold Water Pipe-Platform Sub-System Dynamic Interaction Validation (OPPSDIV)

Various (may be applicable to some or all marine hydrokinetic technologies)

• Princeton Power Systems (TRL 5 6 Component) – Marine High-Voltage Power Conditioning and Transmission System with Integrated Energy Storage
• Development of Reference Models and Design Tools (LCOE Models)
• FY 09 Lab Call: Supporting Research & Testing for MHK
• FY 09 Lab Call: Research & Assessment for MHK Development
• Sound & Sea Technology (TRL 4 Component) – Advanced Anchoring Technology
• US Synthetic Corp (TRL 4 Component) – The Development of Open, Water Lubricated Polycrystalline Diamond Thrust Bearings for use in Marine Hydrokinetic (MHK) Energy Machines
• Free Flow Energy (TRL 1 2 3 Component) – Design and Development of a Cross-Platform Submersible Generator Optimized for the Conditions of Current Energy Conversion
• Curators of the University of Missouri – Missouri S&T (TRL 1 2 3 Component)
• OCGEN Module Mooring

Environmental Impacts and Mitigation

• Acoustic effect of hydrokinetic tidal turbines
• Siting of hydrokinetic project in offshore southeast Florida
• Semprus Biosciences (TRL 1 2 3 Component)
• Modeling the Physical and Biochemical Influence of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant Discharges into their Adjacent Waters
• Impacts of OTEC intakes on Aquatic Organisms
• Scientific Solutions (TRL 5 6 Component) – Underwater Active Acoustic Monitoring Network for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy
• Active Acoustic Deterrence of Migratory Whales
• Wave Tank WEC Array Analysis
• Sediment transport impact on protected species
• Enviro effects of hydrokinetic turbines on fish
• Categorizing and Evaluating the Effects of Stressors (KMS and ERES)
• IEA Annex IV – Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts
• Categorizing and Evaluating the Effects of Stressors (all Conceptual Model work)
• Effects on the Physical Environment (Hydrodynamics, Sediment Transport, and Water Quality)
• Effects on the Physical Environment (Hydrodynamics, and Water Quality/Food Web)
• Effects on Aquatic Organisms (Acoustics and Toxicity)
• Effects on Aquatic Organisms (EMF, Acoustics and Physical Interaction)
• Beluga Whale interactions with Tidal Energy

Resource Assessments

• OTEC resource assessment
• Ocean current resource assessment
• In-stream hydrokinetic resource assessment
• Tidal Energy Resource Assessment
• Wave Energy Resource Assessment

Markets and Policy

• Assessment of Projected Life-Cycle Costs for Wave, Tidal, Ocean Current, and In-Stream Hydrokinetic Power

Education and Outreach

• CESA/Marine Energy Technology Advancement Partnership
• Permitting and Planning

Other

• Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (FAU)
• National Marine Renewable Energy Center (UH)
• Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (OSU/UW)

Hydropower Projects

Technology

• Water – Use Optimization – 3 projects including the following:
  • Development and Demonstration of Advanced Forecasting, Power and Environmental Planning and Management Tools and Best Practices
  • Hydrologic Forecasting
  • Day-ahead Scheduling and Real-time Operations Tool
• Small Hydropower (System and Component Model Development) – 5 projects including the following:
  • SLH Timing Belt Powertrain
  • Laboratory Demonstration of a New American Low-Head Hydropower Turbine
  • W4e Hydropower Turbine Generator system validation
  • Small Hydropower Research and Development Technology Project
  • Scalable Low-head Axial-type Venturi-flow Energy Scavenger
• Small Hydropower (Innovative System Testing) – 5 projects including the following:
  • Demonstration of Variable Speed Permanent Magnet Generator at Small, Low-Head Hydro Site
  • 51-Mile Hydroelectric Power Project Demonstration of new methodologies to reduce the LCOE for small, hydropower development
  • Harnessing the Hydro-Electric Potential of Engineered Drops in the Columbia Basin Project
  • Real World Demonstration of a New American Low-Head Hydropower Unit
  • Construction Support for New Slab Creek Power House Project
• SLH-100 demonstration project at Monroe Drop
• Pumped Storage Hydropower (Project Development Support)—Geotechnical Investigation and Value Stream Analysis for the Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Development

Environmental Impacts and Mitigation

• Environmental Mitigation Technology (System and Component Model Development) – 2 projects including the following:
  • Turbine Aeration Physical Modeling and Software Design
  • Sensor Fish Re-design to Support Advance Hydropower Development
• Environmental Mitigation Technology (Innovative System Testing)–Deployment and Testing of the Alden Hydropower Fish-Friendly Turbine
• Enviro Hurdles: Instream Flow

Markets and Policy

• Quantifying Full Value of Hydro in Transmission Grid
• Pumped Storage Hydropower (Detailed Analysis to Demonstrate Value)–Modeling and Analysis of Value of Advanced Pumped Storage Hydropower in the U.S.

Other

• Hydropower Advancement Project (HAP): Audits and Feasibility Studies for Capacity and Efficiency Upgrades
• Non-Powered Dams Resource Assessment
• Climate Change Assessment
• Basin Scale Opportunity Assessment