OCEAN ENERGY & OBSERVATORIES

• Aquanet Ocean Engineering Topics
• Ocean drugs news story from The Scientist (University of Pennsylvania)
• "Drugs of the Deep" from FDA Consumer Magazine
• Drugs From the Sea By Rosie Mestel, Discover Magazine, March 1999: Vol.20, No.3
• Autonomous Marine Environment Research Station
• Ocean Research Lab

DESIGN

• Wet Navy Design Rules

OCEAN OBSERVATORIES

• The Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) is a cabled-based observatory system, incorporating a benthic instrument node, AUVs, and various benthic and moored instrumentation. The MARS infrastructure will provide the capability to place and power instruments in areas of scientific interest in various geographical sites. This project will complete the design and then install an advanced cabled observatory in Monterey Bay that will serve as the test bed for a state-of-the-art regional ocean observatory, currently one component of the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). The Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) cabled observatory represents the next step toward harnessing the promise of new power and communication technologies to provide a remote, continuous, long-term, high-power, large-bandwidth infrastructure for multidisciplinary, in situ exploration, observation, and experimentation in the deep sea. MARS will be located in Monterey Bay offshore the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). 
• GEOSTAR (Geophysical and Oceanographic Station for Abyssal Research) is the first European multidisciplinary observatory for deep-sea monitoring, developed in the framework of European Commission research projects since 1995 (GEOSTAR and  GEOSTAR 2) co-ordinated by INGV.
• NEMO - The NeMO Project was conceived as a long-term study of the interactions between geology, chemistry, and biology on a dynamic part of the mid-ocean ridge system, using state-of the art technology. The goal is to make multiple observations at one location over several years to document changes in interrelated systems. Hence, the need for a multi-year seafloor observatory. NeMO studies the dynamic interactions between submarine volcanic activity and seafloor hotsprings at an observatory, Axial seamount. A volcanic eruption occured at Axial in January 1998, destroying some hydrothermal vent sites and creating new ones. Since then NeMO scientists have been assessing the impact of the eruption and documenting the on-going changes in Axial's summit caldera.
• European Station for Time-series in the Ocean, Canary Islands (or ‘Estación Europea de Series Temporales del Oceano, Islas Canarias’, ESTOC) is located 100 km north (upstream) of Gran Canaria in the eastern boundary flow of the subtropical North Atlantic gyre (at 29°10’N and 15°30’W). The station is situated in the northern Canary Basin about 460 km west of the Moroccan coast and is surrounded by deep water (water depth at ESTOC is 3600 m). The time-series station was initiated by a group of four scientists in Spain and in Germany who are also the principal investigators: On the Canary Islands, Octavio Llinás from the Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas (ICCM) and Argeo Rodríguez de León from the Instituto Español de Oceanografia (IEO); and in Germany, Gerold Siedler from the Institut für Meereskunde (Institute of Marine Sciences) in Kiel (IfM) and Gerold Wefer from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Bremen (GeoB). The German initiative is funded as part of the German JGOFS by the German government (BMBF), the Spanish institutes derive their funding from local and governmental sources. The time-series data are used both as a contribution to WOCE and JGOFS.

• THE NORTH-EAST PACIFIC TIME-SERIES UNDERSEA NETWORKED EXPERIMENTS - NEPTUNE will be the world’s largest cable-linked seafloor observatory. It will expand the boundaries of ocean exploration and give us a new way of studying and understanding our planet. NEPTUNE is a joint U.S.-Canada venture led by the University of Washington and, in Canada, by the University of Victoria

OCEAN ENERGY PROJECTS

• The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter - The Pelamis is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure oil through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable.
• Archimedes Wave Swing - The AWS is a unique concept. It is the only wave energy converter that is fully submerged. Although its construction is simple (only one moving part), the way it works is not so easy to understand. The AWS consists of two cylinders. The lower cylinder is fixed to the bottom while the upper cylinder, also called floater, moves up and down under the influence of waves. Simultaneously magnets, which are fixed to the upper cylinder, move along a coil. As a result, the motion of the floater is damped and electricity is made. Magnets and coil are part of a linear generator.

• W a v e g e n - A world leader in wave energy. They developed and operate Limpet, the world’s first commercial-scale wave energy device that generates power for the grid. The Limpet unit on Islay has an inclined oscillating water column (OWC) that couples with the surge-dominated wave field adjacent to the shore. The water depth at the entrance to the OWC is typically seven metres.  The design of the air chamber is important to maximise the capture of wave energy and conversion to pneumatic power.  The turbines are carefully matched to the air chamber to maximise power output.  The performance has been optimised for annual average wave intensities of between 15 and 25kW/m. The water column feeds a pair of counter-rotating turbines, each of which drives a 250kW generator, giving a nameplate rating of 500kW.

• Energetech - The Parabolic Wall - Focussing The Waves - Innovative `Wave Energy' Project Announced, September 07, 2004, This device will be constructed off of the coast of Rhode Island, USA. - the crests will propagate parallel to the axis of symmetry of the parabola. While slight variations will result in little energy loss, the greater the angle between the axis of symmetry and the propagation direction, the more the energy will be spread out.

• Ocean Wave Energy Converter - Ocean waves move horizontally across a plane. Their movement causes vertical turbulence in substrata to a depth correspondent with the size and period of the wave. Below this depth, pressure and viscous shear diminish turbidity and attenuate water particle motion. Relative movement between two buoys, with one floating on hydroface and the other suspended at essentially undisturbed strata, reveals significant change from effective wave motion. Consider one buoy, with a rod attached to it, floating on the hydroface. Consider another buoy, with a tube attached to it, submerged at the undisturbed depth by an air to weight ratio- the volume of contained air to the weight of its container plus the attached tube. Reciprocation occurs with the rod inside the tube as a result of ocean wave troughing and cresting. However, horizontal wave forces push the floating buoy away from the submerged buoy so that it cannot naturally return to the initial vertical position. If another rod, with a weight mass secured on one end, is attached to the bottom of the submerged buoy (with mass subtracted from the original buoy mass) an improved air to weight configuration is achieved but the relationship remains somewhat tenuous. A most stable assembly is obtained if the width of the weight is greater than the submerged sphere diameter. The arrangement simply resembles a cone, having apex pointed in an upward direction, not unlike the rotated stance of a defensive boxer preparing to receive a punch. With regard to readily manufactured components, this conical form translates to the general shape of a tetrahedron module providing suitable power generation means that convert wave energy to electrical energy. Simple beginnings with table tennis ball and wire assemblies in water filled wastebaskets led to working models construction and testing of the first thus termed OWEC Ocean Wave Energy Converter™.

• Sea Power of Scotland Ltd - The wave-power-concept is based on a floating platform that continuously shifts to accommodate the incoming waves. The waves break against a ramp (an artificial, steep beach) and spill into a basin. Thus, the kinetic energy of the waves has resulted in a volume of water - stored in the basin - containing potential energy.  The basin is placed on a certain height over the ocean's calm water level and the water passes out through a number of low-pressure turbines that drive electrical generators. The electricity generated leaves the power station via an ocean cable.

• WavePlane Production A/S - The WavePlane is a floating construction. In opposition to a boat it doesn't ride the waves up and down, but remains at water level. The WavePlane uses the same principle as a floating oil-platform with regard to lie still in waves. The WavePlane is a rigid construction with a damping plate (a big vertical plate) in the bottom. In the prototype there are three damping plates - one underneath the front and two connected to the two down going tubes. As the area of the damping plates is larger then the water level area of the device, the whole construction mostly follows the movements of the damping plates, which is minimal. The WavePlane is kept afloat by foam filled tanks.  The WavePlane converts the shape and speed of the incoming wave. When the lower part of the wave hits the artificial beach it is speeded down a little, whereby the upper part of the wave relatively is pushed forward and thereby is "thrown" into the device. The WavePlane primarily uses the part of the wave lying over water level (the wave crest). The water intake is a series of reservoirs with plates resembling planning tools. This has given the device it's name. The part of the wave, which is flushed in through the reservoirs, will be "cut in a number of horizontal slices".  The water flushing through the lower reservoirs flows directly into the "fly-wheel-tube". Some of the water flowing through the upper reservoirs is stored and is only used when the wave crest has passed the device. All reservoirs are getting narrower towards the "fly-wheel-tube". The water thereby is squeezed and as a result the speed goes up (principle of Bernoulli). As the kinetic part of the energy goes up with the square of the speed of the water, a small increase of speed gives a relatively large increase of kinetic energy. All water flushing passed by the reservoirs of the WavePlane will be squeezed into the side of the fly-wheel-tube, whereby the water is let into a whirling movement. The rotation of this whorl is so strong that it continues during the period of two to three "missing" waves. Even though the water coming to the WavePlane has an irregular pulse, the conversion of flow through the fly-wheel-tube results in an even flowing and rotating stream.

• Tidal energy turbine - Energy pioneers have launched the world's first offshore tidal energy turbine off the Devon coast. The world's first marine current turbine is being set up just off the coast of Lynmouth, North Devon. This experiment in harnessing renewable energy from the sea begins with the installation of a single turbine capable of producing 300 KW of electricity. The £3m turbine has been built into the seabed about a kilometer and a half (one mile) offshore from Lynmouth. The single 11 meter-long rotor blade will be capable of producing 300 kilowatts of electricity and will be a test-bed for further tidal turbines.  If the trial is successful commercial production of marine turbines could begin as early as 2006. Research suggests they have the potential to be four times more efficient than wind turbines of a similar size. Tidal energy turbine: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/2992996.stm, http://www.marineturbines.com/home.htm

   

OCEAN WIND ENERGY PROJECTS

• Oceanor downloadable wind/wave demo atlas.World Wave Atlas (WWA)
• Strathmore's Offshore World Wind Map
• NREL's US renewable onshore GIS data
   

International Ocean Projects

• International Research Consortium on Continental Margins (IRCCM) - Academic Consortium Members: Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI), University of Bremen (Marum), IfM-Geomar in Kiel, the University of New Hampshire, University of Washington, IfM-Geomar, Rice University, and the Max-Planck-Institut for Marine Microbiology, Bremen.  The International Research Consortium on Continental Margins (IRCCM) has decided to focus research activities on continental margins on surface and subsurface imaging, fluid flow and the methane cycle. The research object is the entire sedimentary sequence on continental margins starting with deeply buried sediments and moving upward to shallower sediments up to the sediment/water interface. The water column above the sedimentary sequence will also be incorporated in the research program, as far as input from the sedimentary column and the interrelationship between water column and sediment in terms of exchange processes is concerned. The air/water interface will be included mainly for considering exchange phenomena of relevance to climate and global change. At the bottom of the sedimentary sequence, a base line will be drawn with respect to those sediments, which cannot generate any more thermogenic methane. This baseline has to be drawn around 2% to 3% vitrinite reflectance. It will be determined through basin modelling technology.
• European project AMORES is studying four contrasting hydrothermal fields in the Atlantic Ocean to find out how heat and matter are dispersed into the Atlantic. It is using large surface ships combined with smaller submersibles for deep-sea investigations to collect information about the physical and chemical processes that occur around hydrothermal vents and to identify potentially useful bacterial species.
• ENAM project is the European North Atlantic margin between the Norwegian margin and the Celtic Sea. Scientists from ENAM 2 are studying sedimentation patterns from the shelf edge, down through the continental slope and finally into the deep-sea trench of the North Atlantic.
• European Commission MAST programme (Marine Science and Technology) - study the often dangerous environment of the seabed.
• EUREKA projects, co-ordinated under the EUROMAR umbrella: 1. ALIPOR Project - This automatic lander can sink to the sea floor under its own weight and then conduct experiments, gather data and return to the surface when finished. 2. SIRENE is a remote-controlled-carrier, which can position underwater laboratories with extreme precision at depths of up to 6000 metres using advanced tele-acoustic communication. 3. The EUROMAR project ROMAN has developed a heavy duty deep-sea robot that can carry out heavy jobs at great depths, taking over tasks that are too dangerous for human divers. 4. AMADEUS is a research programme to improve the dexterity and sensory ability of remote-controlled underwater manipulation systems. This final prototype should be able to sample organisms, sediment and rocks with extreme accuracy.
• MaxWave Project - 1. To confirm the existence of rogue waves and their risk of encounter. Existing measurements and hindcast modeling will be used to better understand the shape and impacts of extreme waves in relation with ship/offshore accidents. Modern measurement techniques will be exploited towards the recognition of extreme individual waves and their regional probability of occurrence. 2. To implement the improved knowledge of freak waves to modern ship design, by having involved the two marine communities. 3. To develop forecast criteria for rogue waves with the aid of physical, mathematical statistical and deterministic wave model tests and by that to improve security for human life. 4. To disseminate and exploit the project results by the project members, covering the marine design/operation side, the wave science community, system providers and certifying institutions.
• ASOF-N - Arctic Subarctic Ocean Flux-Array for European Climate - North.  The objectives of the proposal are to determine the heat flux into the Arctic Ocean and the freshwater flux by sea ice and water from the Arctic Ocean into the Nordic Seas in order to identify and model the processes which cause the fluxes to vary on interannual and longer time scales and to identify a minimum set of choke point arrays which characterise the flow conditions to sufficient accuracy to estimate the flux variability and thus become a contribution to the a global ocean and climate observing system.
   

International Shipping Projects

• European project. SEABUS-HYDAER is developing a completely new concept in marine transport: a hybrid between a plane and a ship. Although Seabus never leaves the water, most of its lift power is provided by the wings. This gives it the capacity to travel very fast. Ferries currently in use have top speed of about 40 knots; Seabus beats this hands down, achieving around 120 knots (220 km/h) whilst using 20% less fuel.
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Alternative Energy Projects