This award will support participant travel to a workshop titled "Offshore Renewable Energy - Information Needs for Resource Assessment and Design Conditions". The workshop will be held on June 23-24, 2011 in Washington DC, and will be hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Intellectual Merit
Offshore wind and ocean energy is an underdeveloped renewable energy resource. To develop that resource, research will be required to better understand both the resource (wind, current, wave) and the effect of those resources the on structures that are created to harvest these resources. The workshop will address the fundamental and applied research needs for renewable energy technologies that are likely to be deployed offshore, especially wind and marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy. Specific areas for which fundamental information is needed and for which gaps will be identified include forecasting (for operations), energy projections (including resource assessment), technology design and validation, facility design, operations planning/site safety, and performance monitoring.
Broader Impacts
Offshore renewable energy is seen as a significant but untapped resource that has the potential to reduce the reliance of the United States on fossil fuels for the generation of electricity. This proposal will provide travel support to enable the participation of graduate students in a unique workshop that focuses on offshore renewable energy. This workshop will also foster collaborations between academia, industry, and government, particularly the U.S. DOE and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
This award was to provide travel funds to allow people to attend a workshop on "Information Needs for Resource Assessment and Design Conditions". The availability of participant travel support was advertised via email lists and society website and other means that are appropriate. We specifically encouraged graduate students who are in appropriate areas of study to apply. The workshop will address information needs of renewable energy technologies likely to be deployed offshore, especially wind and marine hydrokinetic (MHK). Specific applications for which the information is needed and for which gaps will be identified include Forecasting (for operations) Energy Projections (including resource assessment) Technology Design and Validation Facility Design Operations Planning/Site Safety Performance Monitoring The project supported the attendance of 7 scientists and engineers. The participated in the workshop and assisted with writing of the workshop report. The report is available from DOE at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/radc_public_meeting_9-14-11.pdf The report discussed the following: Modeling and Simulation, Resource and Environment., Facility Operation and Performance, Market and Economic Issues and Collaboration. A large number of information gaps were identified including: Current ability to forecast structure is poor including features affecting the turbines. Prediction of wind across turbine disk or turbine control height is affected by turbulent transport related to boundary layer mixing and surface fluxes, therefore, improvements in turbulent mixing parameterizations and air-sea exchange parameterizations are required to improve forecast accuracy Accurate prediction of micro-scale and mesoscale features including: sea breeze, coastal jets, wind ramps, timing of periods of strong turbulence, rough seas. Validation data: sub-hourly temperature and wind observations sufficient to resolve PBL structure. Surface flux data would be very beneficial.
