The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced nearly $16.7 million for 25 small-business-led hydropower and marine energy projects through Phase I and Phase II of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) selected these projects, which can help to accelerate the growth of water power innovation and technology.
These projects — 10 focused on hydropower and 15 focused on marine energy — are meant to help advance hydropower and marine energy technologies. Phase I projects represent initial funding awards, while Phase II projects involve continued research and development efforts from Phase I.
Phase I
Phase I projects for initial funding rewards include projects focused on sensors, analytics, digital twins and more.
Emerging Sensor, Sensing Networks, and Other Monitoring Technologies – Hydropower
(NanoSonic Inc., Pembroke, Va. – Wireless Networked, Time-of-Flight-Based Turbulence Sensors for Waterpower Applications)
NanoSonic is partnering with Virginia Tech to develop wireless sensors that can provide data about power generation and performance of hydropower and marine energy devices. This is meant to allow owners and operators to better understand how these devices are functioning without shutting them down for an evaluation. The sensors will be designed to be adapted to any deployed water power technology.
Pumped Storage Hydropower Innovative Concepts
(Gravity Power Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif. – Test System for Underground Pumped Hydro)
Gravity Power is developing a pumped storage hydropower (PSH) system using an underground structure that can be built in locations where PSH is not feasible geographically. An underground storage shaft is filled with water and equipped with a piston, and a pump/turbine moves the piston to generate power. Gravity Power will analyze market potential and optimal deployment placement and strategy.
(Prometheus Innovations LLC, Lafayette, La. – Hydropower Operations and Maintenance Optimization from Thin Film)
Prometheus Innovations is developing a thin film composite coating that will help reduce maintenance and operations costs by protecting hydropower equipment from cavitation. Cavitation is a phenomenon that affects equipment when vapor bubbles form and implode due to rapid pressure changes, generating shock waves that create cavities on the metal surface.
Digital Twins for Canal, Hydrokinetic Turbine, and Array Power Modeling and Optimization
(Emrgy Inc., Atlanta, Ga. – Digital Twins for Canal, Hydrokinetic Turbine and Array Power Modeling and Optimization)
Emrgy is developing a digital twin — a digital version of turbines, canals or arrays that allows experts to simulate different operations or component designs — that will help it optimize turbine performance, identify maintenance needs, and devise optimal control strategies for existing canal and irrigation sites that generate energy.
Coastal Structure Integrated Wave Energy Converters (CSI-WEC)
(Peak LLC, Ames, Iowa – Flexible Oscillating Water Column Integrated Breakwater with Advanced Controls)
Peak will develop, demonstrate and validate a low-maintenance oscillating water column wave energy converter. Oscillating water column devices use wave action to pressurize air in a chamber, forcing it through a turbine to generate energy. By operating on existing breakwaters, the device can be more cost-effective and provide new opportunities to produce local power for communities.
A full list of Phase I projects is below:
- Community-Centric Hydropower Technologies Development and Partnership
- Emerging Sensor, Sensing Networks, and Other Monitoring Technologies – Hydropower
- Innovations in Data Analytics, Models, and Tools – Hydropower
- Pumped Storage Hydropower Innovative Concepts
- Micro-Hydropower Development
- Digital Twins for Canal, Hydrokinetic Turbine, and Array Power Modeling and Optimization
- Development of Marine Energy Systems in Open-Water Conditions
- Coastal Structure Integrated Wave Energy Converters (CSI-WEC)
- Emerging Sensors, Sensing Networks, and Other Monitoring Technologies – Marine Energy
- Co-Development of Marine Energy Technologies
- Development of Marine Energy Components/Subsystems
Full details on all Phase I projects are available here.
Phase II
Phase II projects include projects focusing on biodegradable lubricants, cybersecurity research, development of new technologies, and monitoring tools.
Biodegradable Lubricant from Esterified Propoxylated Glycerol
(Tetramer Technologies, Pendleton, S.C. – Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) for Hydropower—Biodegradable and Non-Toxic Oils and Greases to Reduce Risks to Water Pollution)
Tetramer previously developed a biodegradable EAL for hydropower equipment that has gone through lab and basic field testing and can be mass produced to encourage its widespread adoption for hydropower. Tetramer will conduct further field tests looking to demonstrate key performance requirements such as compatibility with current hydropower equipment and durability.
Identification of Cybersecurity Threat and Research and Development of Mitigation Strategies for Hydropower and Dams’ Operations
(Fend Inc., Arlington, Va. – Hydropower and Dam Cybersecurity: Protection and Monitoring Using Next Generation Data Diodes)
Fend will continue to develop a device that can be used to block cyberattacks on and help secure hydropower assets. The device will use data diode technology, a cybersecurity mechanism used to help ensure data is transferred securely without risking exposure or corruption. The device can serve as a rapidly deployable cyber defense for both public and private hydropower stakeholders.
Innovations in Water Data
(Hedgefog, San Pedro, Calif. – Remote Lidar Methane Sensor [RELMS])
Hedgefog will continue to develop a technology that uses lasers to measure methane emissions from hydropower reservoirs. This technology can survey locations that are unreachable with current measurement technology, allowing for more accurate and complete data. The technology is meant to help stakeholders better assess and understand the environmental impact of above-ground reservoirs.
(Ocean Motion Technologies Inc., San Diego, Calif. – Data Platform Enabling Wave Energy Converter Performance and Sensor Optimization: Wave Energy Converters Impact Wave Data and What To Do About It)
Ocean Motion Technologies is working to add a communications system to and test a wave-powered ocean observation device for marine energy developers. The company integrated an ocean observation sensor into a wave energy converter (WEC), providing power while the sensor collects data. The company will prototype a real-time communication system to transfer the data collected back to research centers on land, then test the device in the field.
Co-Development of Marine Energy Technologies
(CalWave Inc., Berkeley, Calif. – CalWave xNode)
CalWave will continue to develop a small-scale WEC, called the xNode, designed to provide renewable power to offshore devices. The xNode has the potential to power sensors on the sea floor and underwater vehicles and could replace some existing power sources — such as batteries, fuel cells and diesel generators — that are not suitable for long-term deployments as they must be recharged or replaced.
(Oscilla Power Inc., Seattle, Wash. – Wave-Powered Radar-Based Ocean Sensing Systems)
Oscilla will continue to develop a WEC that can power ocean observation platforms. The device is intended to help lower the maintenance costs of ocean observation platforms while allowing for those platforms to be deployed longer. Most ocean observation systems rely on non-rechargeable batteries, which must be manually replaced.
(Triton Systems Inc., Chelmsford, Mass. – Wave Energy Harvesting to Power LiDAR Buoys)
Triton Systems developed a WEC to power LiDAR buoys to collect data to evaluate sites for marine energy and/or offshore wind deployments. LiDAR buoys’ power requirements are difficult to meet with onboard solar and wind power sources alone. The WEC is meant to enable longer deployments and avoid the carbon emissions associated with the diesel generators that currently power the buoys. Triton will conduct two deployments to test the WEC in real-world conditions and finalize the design, then pair it with a deployed LiDAR buoy to ensure calibration and validate that the WEC does not impact measurements.
Low-Cost, User-Friendly Monitoring Tools for Marine and Hydrokinetic Sites
(MarineSitu, Seattle, Wash. – Modular Instrumentation and Automated Data Processing for Marine Energy Monitoring)
MarineSitu contributed to the development of the Adaptable Monitoring Package (AMP). This device can be deployed ahead of a marine energy device so developers can better understand how to best adapt their device to the conditions it will face once deployed and how to reduce its impact on the surrounding ecosystem. MarineSitu plans to upgrade the AMP to include more monitoring capabilities, further reduce the system cost, and enable scalability. The team will then test the upgraded device at a local aquarium.
