ecological impacts of hydrokinetic energy: in-stream tidal...

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

Ecological Impacts of Hydrokinetic Energy:In-stream Tidal Energy

Brian PolagyeUniversity of Washington

April 22, 2009

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Centernnmrec.oregonstate.edu (OSU - Wave)

depts.washington.edu/nnmrec (UW - Tidal)

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

•In-stream Tidal Energy Overview

•Ecological Impacts

•Center Activities

agenda,04-22-09,TID

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center021,04-22-09,TID

Tidal Energy Overview

Advantages Challenges

Predictable resourceNo CO2 emissionsNo visual pollutionOften located near load centers

Intermittent resourceNot invisible to aquatic speciesPotential to place additional stress on estuaries

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center024,04-22-09,TID

Approaches to Tidal EnergyBarrage Hydrokinetic

Comparable to hydroelectricVery high cost and environmental footprint

Comparable to windPotentially lower cost and environmental footprint

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center023,04-22-09,TID

General Device Specifications

■ Deployment currents: > 3 m/s peak

■ Deployment depth: 20-80 m

■ Rotor size: 5-20 m diameter

■ Maximum tip velocity limited by cavitation— Rule of thumb: 12 m/s— Utility-scale device limited to 10-15 rpm

■ Power output in proportion to velocity cubed— Small changes in velocity = large changes in power

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center025,04-22-09,TID

Hydrokinetic Devices(clockwise from left)

• Verdant Power• Clean Current• Marine Current Turbines• Open Hydro

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center022,04-22-09,TID

Common ElementsPile Chain Anchor

Tension Leg

Gravity Base

Gearbox-Generator

Direct Drive Generator

Foundation

Drive Train

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center020,04-22-09,TID

Site CharacteristicsIdeal Real

Uniform, flat-bottomed channelSmooth, bi-directional currents30-40 m water depthElectrical infrastructure to the shorelineNo existing usersBiological desert

Variable width and depth

Variable, turbulent currents with ebb/flood asymmetry15-100 m water depthElectrical infrastructure inlandMany existing usersBiologically vibrant

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

•In-stream Tidal Energy Overview

•Ecological Impacts

•Center Activities

agenda,04-22-09,TID

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center009,04-22-09,TID

Ecological Impacts Overview

■ Different concerns at each stage of a project— Pre-installation— Installation— Operation— Decommissioning

■ Low level of understanding— Unknowns or very broad range of potential effects— Most test data remains proprietary to developers— Challenging environment to make measurements

■ Difficult to perform a cost-benefit analysis

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center009,04-22-09,TID

Pre-installation Studies

■ Establish environmental background— Often not well-characterized

■ Many possible studies— Aquatic species use and abundance— Water quality— Currents— Substrate

■ How to best structure for “before and after”comparison?

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center010,04-22-09,TID

Installation

■ Disturbances to sea bed— Device foundation— Sub sea cabling (offshore and nearshore)

■ Disturbances on surface— Ship traffic— Lights— Noise

■ Potential to mitigate some impacts?— Small foundation footprint— Horizontal directional drilling under the nearshore

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center011,04-22-09,TID

Operation

■ Rotating machinery— Strike, collision, or entanglement danger

■ Noise— Avoidance behavior

■ Hard substrates— Colonization leading to aggregation behavior

■ EMF— Generator and cable

■ Hydraulic fluid and mineral lubricants

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center012,04-22-09,TID

Operation (cont)

■ Changes to local flow field (near-field effects)— Sedimentation, mixing

■ Changes to regional tidal regime (far-field effects)— Currents, mixing, tidal range, transport

■ Cumulative effects of large arrays— Can effects be extrapolated from a single device?

■ Toxicity of anti-fouling coatings

■ …

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center013,04-22-09,TID

Decommissioning

■ Removal of infrastructure— Cables— Foundation— Device

■ Should everything be removed? Would it be less disruptive to leave foundation? Should the cables remain in place for observations?

■ Who pays for removal of a failed project?

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

•In-stream Tidal Energy Overview

•Ecological Impacts

•Center Activities

agenda,04-22-09,TID

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center014,04-22-09,TID

NNMREC Tidal Research Areas

■ Area #1: Environmental effects

■ Area #2: Site and device characterization (mobile testing)

■ Area #3: Array optimization

■ Area #4: Advanced materials for survivability and reliability

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center016,04-22-09,TID

Modeling Extraction in Puget SoundConcerns that tidal energy extraction could exacerbate existing stresses (hypoxia)

Modeling goals:— In-stream power potential

for Puget Sound— Optimal siting of arrays

Assumptions:— Flow dominantly 1D— Neglect salinity effects— Neglect small-scale

features

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center015,04-22-09,TID

Effect of Extraction on Transport

12

4

6

8

Extraction fromAdmiralty InletExtraction fromTacoma Narrows

Extraction fromBoth Sites

C

D

B

A

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center018,04-22-09,TID

Cost-Benefit Evaluation

Species impact(fish, marine mammals)

Changes to physical environment(sedimentation, dissolved oxygen)

Changes to tidal regime(transport, range, mixing)

?

?

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center001,04-22-09,TID

Field measurements to inform all parties• Site developers – resource and site characteristics

• Device developers – device performance and effects

• Regulators – existing environmental and effects

Site and Device Characterization

R/V Jack RoberstonUniversity of Washington, Applied Physics Lab

Students preparing Sea Spider for deployment

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center002,04-22-09,TID

What is the most efficient way to survey a tidal energy site?

Shipboard Survey

Research Question

Survey

CurrentsWater QualityFish AbundanceSeabedAmbient Noise

Equipment

ADCP (RDI Workhorse - 300 kHz)CTD + O2 (SeaBird), Bottle RosetteEchosounder (BioSonics)Bottom grab, ROV (SeaBotix)Hydrophone (Cetacean Research)

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center003,04-22-09,TID

Currents

Currents exceeding 3m/s“Slack water” for 10-20 minutes (currents less than 1 knot)Significant spatial and temporal variability

Survey Area(1 x 1.5 km)

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

-70

-60-50

-40

-30

-20-10

0

0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00

Turbidity (NTU)

Dep

th (m

) Cast 1Cast 2Cast 3Cast 4Cast 5

003,04-22-09,TID

Water Quality

In-situ measurements show slight halocline and thermocline (for this cast)

Lab results indicate low turbidity (for this season)

(WHO drinking water guidelines: < 1 NTU)

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center006,04-22-09,TID

Hydroacoustics for Fish Abundance

Seabed return

Large Cobbles

Fish School?

• BioSonics echosounder (Center partner)

• Significant cross-talk between echosounder, ADCP, and depth finder

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center004,04-22-09,TID

Grab Samples

Background Noise

Natural noise from strong currentsMany anthropogenic sources

• Shipec grab (spring loaded)― Attempt #1: 3 pebbles― Attempt #2: nothing

• Van Veen grab (not deployed)• Consistent with scoured seabed

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center005,04-22-09,TID

ROV Survey

• Scoured seabed• Relatively flat• Cobbles and gravel• Sponges• Barnacles

• Consistent with high currents and grab samples

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center007,04-22-09,TID

Equipment Package for Stationary Survey

300 kHz ADCP (velocity)

Lead Weight(600 lbs)

Mini-CTD (salinity and temperature)

Hydrophone (background noise)

Sea Spider (heavy duty fiberglass frame)

Acoustic release (redundant recovery)

Programmed for 4 month deployment

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center014,04-22-09,TID

Next Steps in these Areas

■ Modeling changes to physical environment– 3D numerical modeling, including baroclinic effects– Partnership with Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) to

evaluate changes to physical environment

■ Additional shipboard surveys– Every four months for next 8-20 months– Begin to establish seasonal variability

■ Additional instrumentation for stationary survey– Fish tag hydrophone (May)– Upgraded storage and power for ADCP (May)– Echolocation hydrophone (August)

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center

Questions?

Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Centernnmrec.oregonstate.edu (OSU - Wave)

depts.washington.edu/nnmrec (UW - Tidal)