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APL-UW and NNMREC, the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, are seeking partners interested in producing wave or current energy converters and associated component technologies that could be tested in laboratory or field facilities. While responses from government or academic institutions will be accepted, the primary intent is to identify commercial partners with technologies of interest. The overarching goal is to identify and advance MHK technologies that are viable for use at naval facilities. These technologies should be available (or have the ability to become readily available) as commercial products or services. Systems and components will be integrated, as necessary and possible, with existing prototype converters and test facilities to maximize the value from evaluation. Performance of the technology will be evaluated during experimental trials and the utility of component technologies will be demonstrated to the US Navy. |
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RFI Purpose |
Timeline |
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This RFI pertains to a potential collaboration between your company and APL-UW/NNMREC as part of the Navy MHK initiative. We intend to provide funding to technology developers in an effort to evaluate and demonstrate the value of a variety of component technologies. Responses to this RFI will be used to determine your interest and eligibility in responding to a request for proposal (RFP) or request for quote (RFQ). Responses will be evaluated for a subsequent RFP or RFQ. From the RFP or RFQ we anticipate 3–4 awards up to $150,000. No cost-sharing is required from industry partners. Projects will run from summer of 2016 to summer of 2017. |
29 April 2016 — RFI submissions DUE 31 May 2016 — RFP or RFQ sent to selected RFI responders Spring 2016 — Final partners chosen for collaborative projects and awards issued Summer 2016 — Start of collaborative projects Summer 2017 — Conclusion of collaborative projects |
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How to Respond |
Contacts |
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To respond to this RFI, please provide a 2–3 page summary of your proposed collaborative project, service, or product. Responses should answer the following: What is the collaborative project proposed? What is the estimated cost and timeline? How does this benefit your company? How does this benefit the NAVFAC research initiative? Are there any particular IP restrictions? Have you participated in any similar or relevant university collaborations? Responses must include a cover page containing the following information: Proposing institution (name, address, webpage) Proposer's main products/services Proposer's market/customers Number of years on the market Number of employees Contact person responsible for RFI |
Technical Contact Submission Contact |
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APL-UW and NNMREC are focusing specifically on current devices (both axial- and cross-flow) and wave energy conversion (via heave plate point absorbers). We are soliciting responses from entities that have an energy converter design, component, system, or strategy, or other relevant technology for harnessing marine hydrokinetic energy that is compatible with our research objectives and has potential for adoption at naval facilities. The breadth of potential interest spans core MHK technologies and critical supporting technologies, examples of which include, but are not limited to:
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Collaborative projects will provide opportunities for system integration (with laboratory and field testbeds), optimization, and demonstration. For collaborative projects, funding may cover labor, equipment, supplies, fabrication, delivery, and travel costs. Access to test infrastructure will be provided at no cost. Of note is the opportunity for real-world validation and demonstration through field tests in Puget Sound, WA. These tests will be conducted from onboard the R/V Henderson which can accommodate current turbines up to 1-m in characteristic diameter. Specific requirements for integration with test platforms will be addressed during the RFP stage. Appropriate permits will be obtained by the University of Washington. Full-scale MHK systems requiring dedicated mooring systems, contact with the seabed, or power output greater than 10 kW are outside the scope of this program. |
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US Navy Strategic Goals |
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One of the Navy's strategic goals is to minimize its dependence on fuels that are in short supply or foreign‐sourced and substantially reduce contributions to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. For the Navy to fully realize the benefits of the MHK technology, research, verification, system integration, and technology development are being performed by the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory (APL-UW) and the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC). The objective of this research is to advance all aspects of MHK technology and deployment readiness to enable simple, cost-effective adoption of MHK generation capabilities at naval facilities. The approach is to focus on the development of systems and strategies that maximize MHK resource benefits. In addition to advancing device and array capabilities, demonstration that technologies are environmentally benign, and rapid identification and characterization of potential deployment sites are fundamental elements of our approach to supporting the adoption of marine renewable energy assets for the Navy. |
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NNMREC and MHK Advancement for Naval Facilities |
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NNMREC is a partnership between the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Center’s mission is to facilitate commercialization of marine energy technology, inform regulatory and policy decisions, and close key gaps in scientific understanding with a focus on student growth and development. Researchers work closely with a variety of stakeholders, including marine energy device developers, community members, ocean users, federal and state regulators, and government officials to conduct research on wave, tidal, in-river energy, and off-shore wind technologies. This project is developing prototypes and supporting testbeds to deploy and optimize current and wave energy converters in the laboratory and in the field. The primary laboratory facilities include a current flume (with PIV system), a small-scale heave plate oscillator, and a PTO dynamometer (these allow for testing geometries at small scale and respective emulation of their performance when coupled with the PTO at field scale). The R/V Henderson (a 70-foot catamaran barge) is the primary facility for field testing and can serve as either a driven or moored test platform for current turbines. Small field prototypes (up to 1-m in characteristic diameter) can be tested from onboard this platform. Small WECs (also 1-m characteristic diameter) can be tested autonomously. Other technologies or components can be tested via integration with generic test devices (1-m characteristic diameter cross flow turbine, axial flow turbine, and heave plate point absorber) that are under development. Both laboratory and field facilities will incorporate instrumentation to enable comprehensive data acquisition to quantify performance and environmental effects. All field-testing will be performed using APL-UW vessels at permitted locations in Puget Sound. Devices will be deployed temporarily and all power generation/condition/consumption and data collection will be self-contained (from onboard the vessel without shore cabling, no device contact with seabed). |
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Laboratory Scale |
Field Scale |
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Current (Tidal/River/Ocean) Water in-flow velocity range (operating): 0–0.7 m/s Flume text section dimensions: 0.75 m wide x 0.5 m deep x 3 m long Wave Heave Plate Oscillator simulated wave height/period range: 0.1 m / 0.5 s (minimum) to 0.8 m / 4 s (maximum) Heave plate diameter/weight range: 0.2–0.6 m / 0–36 kg |
Current (Tidal/River/Ocean) Water in-flow velocity range (operating): 0–2.5 m/s (approx.) Water in-flow velocity range (survival): 4 m/s Cross-flow turbine dimenions: 1 m diameter x 2 m long (approx.) Axial-flow turbine dimensions: 1–2 m diameter (approx.) Water depth range: 0–5 m (systems to be tested near the surface) Wave Wave height/period: 0.5 m / 3 s (approx.) Dimensions: 1–2 m diameter (approx.) surface float and heave plate Water depth range: 0–40 m |
