Modeling Tool for Ocean-Deployed Farms

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Program:
MARINER
Award:
$1,323,867
Location:
Biddeford, Maine
Status:
ALUMNI
Project Term:
02/06/2018 - 12/04/2022
Website:

Technology Description:

The University of New England (UNE) will lead a MARINER Category 3 project to develop a high-resolution, 3D computational modeling tool for simulating hydrodynamic forces on macroalgae cultivation and harvest systems. Advanced modeling tools can help inform decisions about farm structure and the significant capital investment required. UNE’s modeling tool will quantify fluid dynamics and mechanical stress at the sub-meter level. The tool will have the capability to evaluate a wide range of offshore macroalgae systems and allow specification of components to withstand storm events, prevent over-engineering, and optimize capital costs. On-shore tank testing and validation at a location in the Gulf of Maine will be used to obtain data necessary to validate the tool's accuracy. The field samples will help quantify the growth as a function of environmental conditions throughout the macroalgae-growing season in the Gulf of Maine. If successful, the completed tool will accelerate the engineering, testing, permitting, and operation of new macroalgae systems.

Potential Impact:

If successful, MARINER projects strive to develop the tools needed to allow the United States to become a world leader in marine biomass production for multiple important applications, including the production of biofuels.

Security:

Production of biofuels from domestically produced marine biomass could lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, bolstering energy security.

Environment:

Growing large amounts of macroalgae would not compete with land-based food crops, requires no fresh water and can be grown without the addition of energy-intensive, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Large-scale macroalgae cultivation may help reduce the negative effects of nutrient overload and ocean acidification in many coastal ocean regions.

Economy:

A domestic macroalgae industry would not only create a valuable new source of domestic energy, but also create significant new economic and employment opportunities in many waterfront communities along the U.S. coasts from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and the Pacific Islands.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Simon Freeman
Project Contact:
Dr. Barry Costa-Pierce
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
bcostapierce@une.edu

Partners

United States Naval Academy
Callentis Consulting Group LLC
University of New England

Related Projects

• C.A. Goudey & Associates - Autonomous Tow Vessels
• Catalina Sea Ranch - Design of Large Scale Macroalgae Systems
• Fearless Fund - Ocean Energy from Macroalgae
• Kelson Marine - A Validated Finite Element Modeling Tool for Hydrodynamic Loading and Structural Analysis of Ocean-Deployed Macroalgae Farms Using Open-Source Tools
• Makai Ocean Engineering - Performance and Impact of Macroalgae Farming
• Marine BioEnergy - Biofuel Production from Kelp
• Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) - Techniques for Tropical Seaweed Cultivation
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) - Spatial Planning and Entanglement Simulations to Support for Macroalgae Aquaculture Development in California
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Assessing the U.S Potential of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)-based Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
• Ocean Era - Single Point Mooring Array for Macroalgae
• Ocean Rainforest - Design of Large Scale Macroalgae System (MacroSystem)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) - Modeling for Scalable Macroalgae Production
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) - Nautical Offshore Macroalgal Autonomous Device
• Umaro Foods - Continuous, High-Yield Kelp Production
• University of Alaska Fairbanks - Scalable Coastal and Offshore Macroalgal Farming
• University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) - MacroAlgae Cultivation Modeling System
• University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara) - Scalable Aquaculture Monitoring System
• University of New England (UNE) - Modeling Tool for Ocean-Deployed Farms
• University of Southern Mississippi (USM) - SeaweedPaddock Pelagic Sargassum Ranching
• University of Southern Mississippi (USM) - Adjustable Depth Seaweed Growth System
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) - Genome-Wide Seaweed Studies
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - Seaweed Hatchery and Selective Breeding Technologies
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - Monitoring Macroalgae Using Acoustics and UUV

Release Date:
12/16/2016