Sandia National Laboratories’ MHK research leverages decades of experience in engineering, design, and analysis of wind power technologies, and its vast research complex, including high performance computing, advanced materials and coatings, nondestructive inspection, complex systems simulation, and large-scale testing. Research projects often involve highly collaborative partnerships between Sandia, industry, and academia to respond quickly to technical challenges with impactful results. MHK technology developments include current energy conversion (CEC) devices, for example, hydrokinetic turbines that extract power from water currents (riverine, tidal, and ocean) and wave energy conversion (WEC) devices that extract power from wave motion.

Reference Model DevelopmentTo promote open source MHK research, Sandia disseminates information on MHK technology point designs that were initially developed as reference models in partnership with other national laboratories to benchmark performance and costs. Open source products, including a detailed methodology for the design and analysis of MHK devices, are available on the project’s website: energy.sandia.gov/rmp Open Source Code DevelopmentSandia develops codes for MHK device and array scale design and analysis. These codes are available publicly on GitHub online repositories for download and further development by the open source community.

WEC-SimWave Energy Converter SIMulator (WEC-Sim) is an open source WEC code jointly developed by Sandia and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. WEC-Sim models WECs composed of rigid bodies, joints, power-take-offs, and mooring. WEC-Sim solves the governing equations of WEC motion in six degrees of freedom and simulates WEC performance when it is subject to operational and extreme waves. For more about WEC-Sim, refer to its GitHub site: github.com/WEC-Sim/WEC-Sim

Strike Impacts to Sensitive SpeciesSandia works collaboratively with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to assess the biological consequence of collision between marine mammals with rotating tidal turbine components. High-power computational platforms are used to simulate multiple collision scenarios to determine the impact stresses imparted on the animal. PNNL performs biological assessments to determine how the stresses affect the animal’s wellbeing.

Environmental AnalysisSandia develops tools and strategies to monitor and mitigate effects of MHK devices and arrays in order to facilitate project permitting and reduce regulatory costs/time for deploying MHK systems. MHK friendly tools are developed and used to optimize MHK array layouts to maximize energy capture while minimizing environmental concerns.

Resource CharacterizationSandia catalogues critical wave statistics needed to determine the magnitude and quality of power resources at wave sites, as well as environmental loads required for WEC design. energy.sandia.gov/energy/renewable-energy/water-power/resource-characterization/

For more information, please contact:Peter Kobos, ManagerEmail: phkobos@sandia.govPhone: (505) 845-7086

Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Water Power Technologies program conducts applied research to improve the performance and reliability of marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies while lowering the cost of energy.

Water Power Technologies: Capabilities & Products

Energy and Climate energy.sandia.gov

Enable and support an emerging water power technologies portfolio–offshore wind, marine hydrokinetic , and conventional hydropower–through a systematic

approach that develops and evaluates technology innovation and promotes environmental stewardship

Water Power Technologies Department Mission

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 210

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

910

0.020.090.02

0.371.170.680.130.04

0.804.793.431.500.690.200.03

1.186.526.353.702.451.630.810.290.05

1.035.065.154.583.392.551.841.200.420.110.04

0.852.362.223.033.252.351.681.200.570.240.160.050.01

0.631.511.371.461.541.370.930.750.600.300.170.110.030.040.01

0.220.560.570.620.540.670.650.410.300.220.130.110.050.050.05

0.110.110.290.270.370.210.230.220.160.140.090.080.040.01

0.020.050.020.110.080.150.110.140.030.060.020.01

0.04

0.010.080.050.010.030.040.03

0.020.02

0.02

0.050.040.01 0.01

Energy Period, Te [s]

Sig

nific

ant W

ave

Hei

ght,

Hm

0 [m]

95% = 0.0291Mean = 0.01655% = 0.0068

% O

ccur

renc

e

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 210

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

0.010.020.170.170.060.03

0.060.811.060.780.530.220.04

0.111.292.252.172.182.011.340.610.13

0.101.122.073.123.423.693.472.921.270.410.190.02

0.090.561.052.363.763.773.583.301.951.010.820.300.09

0.080.380.711.231.982.422.202.292.291.400.980.690.220.360.10

0.030.150.320.590.761.311.661.341.261.140.820.810.400.490.570.110.06

0.020.030.180.280.560.450.630.800.700.740.610.650.360.14

0.020.020.130.120.320.350.540.130.340.150.08

0.490.08

0.100.090.030.090.150.13

0.020.150.20

0.02

0.100.090.030.030.04

0.010.01

0.04 0.03

0.010.01

Energy Period, Te [s]

Sig

nific

ant W

ave

Hei

ght,

Hm

0 [m]

% o

f Tot

al E

nerg

y

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

E x c e p t i o n a l s e r v i c e i n t h e n a t i o n a l i n t e re s t

@SandiaEnergywaterpower.sandia.gov

Application of WEC-Sim to model the FOSWEC (left: WEC-Sim model, right: WEC-Sim visualization)

Cross section of a harbor seal collision with a large tidal turbine at time of impact.

Extreme sea state 100-year contour generated with improved I-FORM method developed by Sandia (left). Wave energy distribution among sea states at wave site (right).

DTOceanSandia is the U.S. representative in the international DTOcean project that is developing open source design tools for deploying the first generation of wave and tidal energy converter arrays. The DTOcean software includes several modules that consider hydrodynamics, electrical systems, moorings and foundations, lifecycle logistics, system controls, and operations and maintenance.

Advanced Wave Energy Converter (WEC) ControlsDrawing on Sandia’s experience and expertise, the Water Power Technologies department is working to better understand the effects of advanced control on WEC performance. Numerical modeling and control design are combined with large-scale model testing to provide industry with control strategies that improve performance.

High Performance ComputingSandia leverages its world-class high perfomance computing assets to advance MHK technologies using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to analyze complex flow interactions and power performance.

Laboratory & Field TestingSandia conducts laboratory and field tests to evaluate the performance of MHK technologies and to validate and verify numerical models. Sandia also develops instrumentation systems and sensors to support laboratory and industry testing needs.

Materials & Non-Destructive Inspection ResearchSpanning the MHK and wind research areas, Sandia’s Advanced Materials Program is dedicated to performing research in materials, coatings, adhesives, inspection, and manufacturing processes to produce reliable, cost-effective renewable-energy devices. Advances from Sandia’s non-destructive inspection programs in Wind Energy and its FAA Airworthiness Assurance NDI Validation Center are being applied to MHK.

SNL-SWANSandia’s Simulating WAves Nearshore (SNL-SWAN) is an open source WEC array code. Sandia modified the open source code, SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore), developed by Delft University of Technology, by adding a WEC Module to improve the way SWAN accounts for WEC power performance and effects on the wave field. For more on SNL-SWAN, refer to its GitHub site: github.com/SNL-WaterPower/SNL-SWAN

CACTUSCACTUS (Code for Axial and Cross-flow TUrbine Simulation) is an open source simulation tool for design and analysis of axial-flow and cross-flow marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) turbines. As a mid-fidelity model, based on a free-vortex method, it allows quick analysis of a large number of design cases and inflow conditions. For more on CACTUS, refer to its GitHub site: github.com/SNL-WaterPower/CACTUS SNL-EFDC and SNL-Delft3DSandia has enhanced two open source coastal circulation models to guide the design and layout of current energy converter (CEC) arrays to maximize power production while minimizing unwanted environmental effects. This modeling framework simulates flows through and around a CEC array while quantifying environmental responses.

The SNL versions include a new module that simulates energy conversion by CEC devices with commensurate changes to turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate. Extreme Conditions ModelingResearchers from Sandia and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are developing an extreme conditions modeling procedure to predict and characterize design responses and loads of WECs. These methods combine multi-fidelity modeling with advanced data analysis techniques to decrease uncertainty in design loads and improve structural efficiency and survival.

Turbine DesignLeveraging Sandia’s strong background in the design and analysis of wind-turbine rotors, Sandia applies a variety of fluid and structural dynamics modeling tools to design MHK turbines, including the Sandia turbine, developed to minimize power performance losses from soiling/biofouling, and reduces the likelihood of cavitation.

Water Power Technologies Department

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2016-1672 M

Application of the SNL-SWAN code to model a wave farm in Monterrey Bay Linear and nonlinear potential flow mod-eling, with kinemat-ics and full-system dynamics

Design and analysis of the Sandia turbine using CACTUS and CFD models. Numerical models were validated with water tunnel experiments conducted at the Applied Physics Lab at Penn State.

Material Testing, left to right: biofouling & marine coatings assessment; monitoring component-material performance; marine effects on composite strength; nanomaterials.

WEC-Sim experimental validation testing of the floating oscillating surge WEC

DOE Reference Model 2 turbine performance testing

CFD simulation of complex flow in wake of ORPC’s RivGen® turbine (left), the Sandia turbine (center), and a WEC point absorber (right).

Replicates study to show variance in return level for extreme PCC force in a WEC