PFI: BIC- The Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project: Optimizing Novel Hydro-Kinetic Renewable Energy Systems via State-of-the-Art Computational Fluid Dynamics Research

明尼苏达大学(SAFL)圣安东尼瀑布实验室(SAFL)的这一创新伙伴关系：建设创新能力项目旨在1)利用SAFL开发的新颖计算流体力学算法和实验技术、Verdant Power，Inc.(VPI)独特的海洋和流体动力(MHK)能源领域设施和行业领先的专业知识，以及Energetx Composites，Inc.(ECI)在材料科学和复合材料叶片制造方面的进展，以解决阻碍商业发展和广泛部署利用MHK能源的技术的主要技术和环境障碍；以及2)为MHK行业培养下一代劳动力，重点是美洲原住民学生。提出了一个三管齐下的研究计划，旨在1)通过流固耦合计算工具设计和测试下一代MHK涡轮转子叶片，以便在真实的水环境中可靠和高效地运行；2)通过现场特定的计算模型优化VPI的试点规模30涡轮机、1.05兆瓦阵列的布局，该阵列将在纽约市东河的罗斯福岛潮汐能(RITE)场地开发；以及3)开发和演示计算工具的效用，以量化和减轻MHK阵列与地貌相互作用所造成的环境影响。该项目教育计划的核心是与Salish Kotenai Colleg(SKC)的合作，该学院将寻求通过专注于MHK能源的技术和创业内容来丰富该学院的四年制学位课程。本项目所使用的计算框架能够对具有嵌入的天然和/或人造水力结构和/或MHK水轮机和多水轮机阵列的任意复杂水道中的湍流进行高分辨率模拟，同时考虑水轮机叶片的水弹性效应以及水轮机与航道地貌动力过程之间的相互作用。这一计算框架将通过利用这两个小企业合作伙伴的行业领先专业知识和独特的现场设施，在现实世界的MHK项目中进一步开发和展示。由此产生的基于模拟的工具箱将被翻译给业务合作伙伴，首次为他们提供关于涡轮机如何在真实的水环境中运行并与其相互作用的深入机械理解；以及一个强大的基于模拟的工程科学工具箱，用于针对特定地点优化涡轮机阵列，以实现效率和环境兼容性。利用MHK资源的清洁和可再生能源的技术目前处于商业化前开发阶段，这个新兴行业需要克服许多技术和环境挑战，以影响国家经济和可再生能源组合。今天，美国MHK行业正处于类似于风力发电技术出现之前的早期阶段。由于新兴行业小企业面临的市场压力，VPI和ECI等公司的创新能力受到严重损害。拟议的PFI将使两个行业合作伙伴能够利用独特的最先进的模拟工具，并成为MHK行业的国际领导者。此外，VPI在纽约市高知名度的Rite项目的成功将对整个美国MHK行业产生重大推动作用，并有助于加快MHK能源技术在全国的广泛部署。PFI教育计划将为SKC水文学位项目提供试点内容，该项目将在技术和创业发展同时进行的情况下，独特地将美国原住民保留地与前景看好的新技术联系起来；在美国原住民保留地的农村社区为MHK技术开辟一个新的潜在市场；并将这一努力作为在美国和第三世界国家的其他农村社区实施的典范进行试点。项目开始时的合作伙伴是：明尼苏达大学双子城大学圣安东尼瀑布实验室(科学与工程学院)；2)小企业合作伙伴：Verdant Power，Inc.(纽约州罗斯福岛)和Energetx Composites，Inc.(荷兰密歇根州)；以及3)学术机构：Salish Kotenai College(Pablo，MT)。

This Partnership for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity project from the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory-University of Minnesota (SAFL) seeks to 1) leverage novel computational fluid dynamics algorithms and experimental techniques developed by SAFL, the unique marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy field facilities and industry-leading expertise of Verdant Power, Inc. (VPI), and advances in material science and manufacturing of composite blades by Energetx Composites, Inc. (ECI) to tackle major technological and environmental roadblocks hindering commercial development and wide-spread deployment of technologies for harnessing MHK energy resources; and 2) contribute toward educating the next generation workforce for the MHK industry with emphasis on Native American students. A three-pronged research plan is proposed aimed at 1) Designing and testing via fluid-structure interaction computational tools the next generation of MHK turbine rotor blades optimized for reliable and efficient operation in real-life aquatic environments; 2) Optimizing via site-specific computational modeling the layout of VPI's pilot-scale 30-turbine, 1.05MW array to be developed in the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) site in the East River in New York City; and 3) Developing and demonstrating the utility of the computational tools for quantifying and mitigating environmental effects due to coupled MHK array-geomorphology interactions. At the core of the educational plan of this project is the collaboration with Salish Kootenai Colleg (SKC), which will seek to enrich the 4-year degree program of this college with technological and entrepreneurial content focused on MHK energy. The computational framework to be used in this project is able to carry out high-resolution simulations of turbulence in arbitrarily complex waterways with embedded natural and/or man-made hydraulic structures and/or MHK turbines and multi-turbine arrays, taking into account hydro-elastic effects of turbine blades, and the interactions between turbines and waterway morphodynamic processes. This computational framework will be further developed and demonstrated in a real-world MHK project by leveraging the industry-leading expertise and unique field facilities of the two small business partners. The resulting simulation-based toolbox will be translated to the business partners to provide them for the first time with in depth mechanistic understanding of how turbines perform in and interact with real-life aquatic environments; and a powerful simulation-based engineering science toolbox for site-specific optimization of turbine arrays for efficiency and environmental compatibility.Technologies for harnessing clean and renewable energy from MHK resources are currently at the pre-commercial stage of development and a number of technological and environmental challenges need to be overcome for this emerging industry to impact the nation's economy and renewable energy portfolio. Today, the U.S. MHK industry is at a stage similar to the early days of wind power technology prior to the emergence of a viable industry. Due to market pressures confronting small businesses in a nascent industry sector, the innovation capacity of companies like VPI and ECI is seriously impaired. The proposed PFI will enable both industry partners to leverage unique state-of-the-art simulation tools and emerge as international leaders in the MHK industry. Furthermore, the success of VPI's highly visible RITE project in New York City will provide a major boost to the entire U.S. MHK industry sector and help accelerate the wide-spread deployment of MHK energy technologies throughout the nation. The PFI educational plan will provide pilot content for the SKC Hydrology degree program that will uniquely link a Native American reservation with promising new technologies at a point where technology and entrepreneurial development are happening simultaneously; open-up a new potential marketplace for MHK technology in rural communities on a Native American reservation; and pilot this effort as a model for implementation in other rural communities in the U.S. and in third-world countries.Partners at the inception of the project are the 1) Lead Institution: St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (College of Science and Engineering); 2) Small Business Partners: Verdant Power, Inc. (Roosevelt Island, NY) and Energetx Composites, Inc. (Holland MI); and an 3) Academic Institution: Salish Kootenai College (Pablo, MT).