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U.S. Department of Energy funding helps companies partner with äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ ocean engineering

Program will cover the cost for companies to test devices using äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ equipment

The wave tank is 30 meters long, 3.6 meters wide and 1.8 meters deep with a hinged, flapper style hydraulic wave maker at the end. The LabVIEW and MATLAB-based control system can produce regular and irregular waves in a wide array of wave heights and periods. (äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ photo by Reza Hashemi)

KINGSTON, R.I. – July 14, 2022 – The äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ has one of the best ocean engineering programs in the country, according to .

With the engineering program’s recent acceptance into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research program, known as , companies can take advantage of äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾’s research facilities and expertise without being charged a fee.

The acoustic tank is 7.5 meters long, 4 meters wide, 3.3 meters deep. It is used for experimentation with hydrophones, underwater camera calibrations, and autonomous and remote operated marine robotics testing. (äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ photo by Reza Hashemi)

Technology developers may use äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBվ’s wave-current flume, wave tank and acoustic tank to conduct tests. TEAMER will reimburse äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ for research that costs up to $150,000 per project, with projects scheduled for a nine-month period.

The Department of Energy program is focused on marine energy, which is a renewable power that is harnessed from the natural movement of water, such as ocean waves, tides, rivers and ocean currents.

“Companies can test a device at äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ that is designed to extract these types of energy,” said äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ Associate Professor Reza Hashemi. “For instance, a company can build a scaled model of a tidal energy device in äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾’s wave-current flume to study how much energy can be extracted or how wave loads affect the performance of the device.”

The wave-current flume has a working section length of 8 meters (four bays), a depth of 1.2 meters, and a width of 0.5 meters. The flume can generate irregular waves in two directions and currents in two directions, up to a relatively large flow speed. (äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ photo by Reza Hashemi)

The benefit to äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ extends beyond the financial arrangement.

“There is great potential to employ graduate students, along with the technicians at äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾, to operate and perform the required experiments and analyze the data,” said Hashemi. “This will provide a great opportunity for students to work directly on research and development with marine renewable energy companies.”

Before applying for support through TEAMER, companies must discuss their proposals with äçÐÄvlogÃâ·ÑBÕ¾ to ensure that the ocean engineering program has the capability to provide the necessary lab requirements and expertise.

After contacting Hashemi at reza_hashemi@uri.edu or 401.874.6217 to discuss the research proposal, companies may .