NSF Workshop on Fundamental Research and Technology in Wave and Hydrokinetics Power Systems

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PI: Reza GhorbaniInstitution: U of Hawaii at ManoaTitle: NSF Workshop on Fundamental Research and Technology in Wave and Hydrokinetics Power SystemsThis award will support participant travel to the international workshop titled NSF Workshop on Fundamental Research and Technology in Wave and Hydrokinetics Power Systems. The workshop will be held on September 19-22, 2011 at Kona, Hawaii, as part of the international conference OCEANS?11. The objectives of the workshop are to 1) provide a forum to exchange ideas on the recent advances in fundamental research and technology development related to wave and hydrokinetic power conversion and utilization, 2) identify research needs of critical importance, and 3) develop guidelines for research and technology development for the next decade. Intellectual Merit The oceans offer the potential for abundant and clean natural energy from ocean waves, currents, tides and thermal gradients. The harvesting and conversion of ocean wave energy to electrical power is a relatively new and emerging research area. In this area, research and technology development usually requires multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, including ocean hydrodynamics , mechanical engineering for design of energy conversion devices, structural engineering analysis of wave-device interaction, and electrical engineering for power storage and transmission, as well as economic and environmental considerations. The papers to be presented at the proposed workshop will illustrate the multidisciplinary nature of this ocean wave power, and the complexity of the fundamental science and engineering challenges needed to harness this renewable energy resource. In particular, new theories and computational models to be presented at the workshop have the potential to advance the field of wave and hydrokinetic power systems, as well as fundamental science in fluid and solid mechanics. Broader Impacts The proposed workshop will provide broader impacts in four aspects. First, both academic scholars and engineers from industry will be invited to attend the workshop. Therefore, the workshop offers an opportunity to facilitate technology transfer, and to identify research topics that have both scientific merit and industrial application. Second, both graduate and undergraduate students will be offered an opportunity participate in the workshop to further their career development. Third, the workshop outcomes will be disseminated through a variety of outlets, including the conference proceedings, special issues in two journals, and a web site. Finally, the workshop also aspires to establish a US-based consortium on wave and hydrokinetics power that will facilitate collaboration and information exchange, particularly with complimentary ocean wave power consortiums in Europe.