PFI-TT: A Cost-Effective and Scalable Tidal Current Energy Harvesting System

该创新-技术转化伙伴关系（PFI-TT）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于从技术和商业上开发潮流能源转换器（TCEC）的变革性解决方案。所提出的技术提高了效率，最小的输出速度变化，低维护要求，增加了耐用性，并通过各种尺寸的可扩展性。它将降低TCEC的切入速度到低潮流速度，并打破潮流能量收集技术的限制。TCEC将使用开发的恒速发电机系统来产生与现有电网兼容的恒频电力。 该项目旨在利用尚未开发的潮汐能资源，使能源组合多样化，从而加强能源安全。该项目中的学术、工业和商业伙伴关系将促进知识共享，利用互补能力，并分担与技术开发和商业化相关的风险和成本。这种合作将促进技术进步，降低成本，协调政策权衡，并鼓励公司投资和参与这一领域。该项目中的可持续创业培训将在参与者的创业和领导力之旅中提供支持，展示他们对长期成功的真正奉献精神，并增加海洋能源行业未来的劳动力。拟议项目将对无级变速器（IVT）技术进行使用启发研究，以解决TCEC的技术经济障碍，该技术可以平衡经济，技术，和环境限制。具有IVT的TCEC可以利用低潮流速度的潮流能量，并且可以用于潮流能量收集的美国海域可以从2%增加到70%。该项目将解决IVT商业化过程中生态问题的一些主要技术障碍，操作和维护，以及真实的水测试，这是TCECs创新者弥合从小型原型到全尺寸原型的差距的主要瓶颈。该项目将（a）通过纳入不确定性和可变性以及寿命终了管理，协同开展寿命周期评估的研究工作，以评估对环境的影响，并评估技术合作和经济合作的能源消耗，从而减少这些制约因素对技术合作和经济合作的经济和生态方面的影响;（B）发展一种状况─基于IVT的预测性维护监测系统，通过结合油液状态监测和其他诊断参数来检测早期故障;以及（c）通过增加IVT的尺寸和能力，为实现商业规模部署，对使用IVT的按比例放大TCEC进行浮船测试。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is in technically and commercially developing a transformative solution for tidal current energy converters (TCECs). The proposed technology has improved efficiency, minimal output speed variation, low-maintenance requirements, increased durability, and scalability through a wide range of sizes. It will lower the cut-in speed of a TCEC to low tidal current speeds and break tidal current energy harvesting technology limits. The TCECs will use the developed constant-speed generator system to generate constant-frequency power that is compatible with existing electric grid. This project aims to enhance energy security by diversifying the energy mix with untapped tidal current energy resource. Academic, industrial, and commercial partnership in the project will foster knowledge sharing, leveraging complementary capabilities, and sharing risks and costs associated with technology development and commercialization. This collaboration will technological advancements, reduce costs, reconcile policy trade-offs, and encourage companies to invest and engage in this sector. Sustainable entrepreneurship training in the project will support participants throughout their entrepreneurial and leadership journeys, demonstrating a genuine dedication to their long-term success and increasing the future workforce in the marine energy industry.The proposed project will conduct use-inspired research on the infinitely variable transmission (IVT) technology to address techno-economic hurdles for TCECs, which can balance economic, technical, and environmental constraints. TCECs with the IVT can harness tidal current energy with low tidal current speeds, and the U.S. sea regions that can be used for tidal current energy harvesting can be increased from 2% to 70%. The project will address some major technical hurdles on ecological issues in the commercialization process of the IVT, operation and maintenance, and real water testing which is a major bottleneck for innovators of TCECs to bridge the gap from small- to full-scale prototypes. The project will (a) synergize research efforts on life cycle assessment for environmental impact evaluation and energy consumption of TCECs via incorporation of uncertainties and variability and end-of-life management to reduce the effect of these constraints on both economic and ecological aspects of TCECs; (b) develop a condition-based predictive maintenance monitoring system for the IVT by incorporating oil condition monitoring and other diagnostic parameters to detect early faults; and (c) conduct floating vessel testing for a scale-up TCEC with the IVT by increasing the size and capacity of the IVT to reach commercial-scale deployment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.