STTR Phase II: Fabrication and Structural Testing of a 3D Concrete Printed Anchor for Floating Offshore Wind

这项小型企业技术转移（STTR）第二阶段项目的更广泛/商业影响是通过推进用于浮动海上风力涡轮机的3D打印混凝土锚，降低成本并加速清洁可再生能源的部署。该锚有潜力成为成本最低、最具可扩展性和最高的国内内容锚解决方案，有助于最大限度地提高美国的就业和经济效益。该项目通过验证结构设计和系泊线连接，充分降低锚的风险，以确保未来的投资，从而提高了该技术的商业潜力。该项目将通过提高美国在最先进的3D混凝土打印技术方面的能力，加强与STTR大学合作伙伴的产业界和学术界的合作伙伴关系，以及通过在加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的港口边设施进行研究、开发和利益相关者外展（包括2000多名学生、教师、政策制定者、投资者和政府官员的参观），加强科学和技术的理解。这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）二期项目将提高一种创新的、可靠的、低成本的3D打印混凝土吸力锚的技术准备水平，该锚用于系泊浮式海上风力涡轮机。漂浮式海上风电在美国有望快速增长，在美国，大约三分之二的海上风电潜力存在于足够深的水域，需要使用浮动平台。然而，成本仍然是广泛部署浮动风的一个障碍。低成本锚固技术的发展为降低成本提供了重要机遇。该项目的主要目标是开发一种低成本的吸力锚，能够承受系泊线与锚连接处产生的极端拉力载荷。拟进行的研究包括：1。1 .开发使用3D混凝土打印工艺制造的锚和系泊线连接的优化详细设计；2、制作高保真锚原型；3 .通过实验室结构测试和有限元分析验证原型锚设计；更新锚制造吞吐量、成本和生命周期排放影响的模型。预期的技术成果包括实验验证的锚的结构设计和制造方法，以及相应的生产吞吐量、成本和生命周期影响模型。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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/commercial impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is to lower the cost and accelerate deployment of clean renewable energy by advancing a 3D printed concrete anchor for floating offshore wind turbines. The anchor has potential to become the lowest cost, most scalable, and highest domestic content anchor solution, helping to maximize US jobs and economic benefits. The project advances the commercial potential of the technology by validating the structural design and mooring line connection, de-risking the anchor sufficiently to secure future investments. The project will enhance scientific and technology understanding by advancing U.S. capabilities in state-of-the-art 3D concrete printing technologies, enhancing industry and academia partnerships with the STTR university partner, and by performing research, development, and stakeholder outreach (including tours for over 2000 students, teachers, policymakers, investors, and government officials) at a port-side facility in Los Angeles, California. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project will advance the technology readiness level of an innovative, reliable, and low-cost 3D printed concrete suction anchor for mooring floating offshore wind turbines. Floating offshore wind power is poised for rapid growth in the United States, where approximately 2/3 of the offshore wind energy potential exists over waters deep enough to require the use of floating platforms. However, cost remains an obstacle to extensive deployment of floating wind. Development of low-cost anchoring presents an important opportunity for cost reduction. The key project objective is to develop a low-cost suction anchor capable of resisting extreme tension loads that arise where the mooring line connects to the anchor. The proposed research includes: 1. developing optimized detailed designs of anchors and mooring line connections manufactured using a 3D concrete printing process, 2. fabricating high-fidelity anchor prototypes, 3. validating the prototype anchor design via laboratory structural testing and finite element analysis, and 4. updating models for anchor manufacturing throughput, cost, and lifecycle emissions impacts. The anticipated technical results include an experimentally validated structural design and manufacturing approach for the anchor and corresponding models for production throughput, cost, and lifecycle impacts.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.