SBIR Phase II: Materials for Renewable Energy Systems

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将展示使用第一阶段开发的先进材料的波能收集器原型。我们已经开发了一项利用低成本磁致伸缩合金收集波浪能的专利概念。这项技术有望将公用事业规模的电力输送到电网，其价格与传统的化石燃料或可再生能源技术相比具有竞争力。这项技术也将适用于我们正在开发的其他专有能量收集系统。在第二期项目中，我们将在世界上最大的露天海水波浪池之一设计、建造、优化和演示一个次级规模的系统。在第二阶段的原型验证后，我们将在额外的私人/政府资助下进一步扩大设备的规模和商业化。该项目的广泛影响和商业潜力解决了全球对快速开发和部署低碳可再生电力资源的需求，这无疑是本世纪全球面临的重大挑战之一。这些技术将推动我们的经济增长，促进全球环境的可持续性，并减少我们对煤炭和天然气等污染和可耗尽的化石燃料的依赖。据估计，全球海洋容量约为2太瓦，是一个巨大但尚未开发的能源，特别适合解决服务不足和/或不断增长的沿海人口。世界能源理事会（World Energy Council）估计，波浪能最多可满足美国6.5%的能源需求。从海洋中开发公用事业规模能源的努力继续受到高资本成本、高维护成本和低能源效率的阻碍。通过该项目开发的技术将加速波能采集器的商业化，与现有替代方案相比，其资本和运营成本大大降低，从而实现与传统电力技术竞争的电力成本平衡。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate a prototype wave energy harvester using advanced materials developed in the Phase I effort. We have developed a patented concept for wave energy harvesting using low-cost magnetostrictive alloys. This technology shows promise as a means for delivering utility-scale electric power to the grid at a price that is competitive with conventional fossil or renewable technologies. The technology will also be applicable to other proprietary energy harvesting systems that we are developing. In the Phase II project, we will design, build, optimize and demonstrate a sub-scale system in one of the largest open-air salt water wave tanks in the world. After prototype validation in Phase II, we will pursue further scale up and commercialization of the device with additional private/government funding.The broader impact and commercial potential of this project address the global need for the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon, renewable electricity sources, which unquestionably ranks as one of this century's global grand challenges. Such technologies will fuel our economic growth, contribute to global environmental sustainability, and reduce our dependence on polluting and exhaustible fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. The world's oceans, with global capacity estimated to be around 2 TW, constitute a vast but untapped energy source that is particularly well-suited to address underserved and/or growing coastal populations. The World Energy Council estimates that wave energy can meet up to 6.5% of U.S. energy needs. Efforts to tap utility-scale energy from the ocean continue to be hampered by high capital costs, high maintenance costs, and low energy efficiencies. The technology developed through this project will accelerate the commercialization of a wave energy harvester with substantially lower capital and operating costs than existing alternatives, enabling a levelized cost of electricity that is competitive with conventional electric power technologies.