NORTH CAROLINA OCEAN ENERGY. North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute

Transcription

1 NORTH CAROLINA OCEAN ENERGY Nicholas De Gennaro PhD PE Mike Muglia D&D Civil & Coastal Engineering North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute

2 PRESENTATION OUTLINE Introduction -- The NC offshore NC Energy resource and presentation objective Marine Hydrokinetic- Western Boundary Current Marine Hydrokinetic Ocean Thermal Energy Wind Petroleum Summary Conclusion

3 MARINE HYDROKINETIC ENERGY How Much Energy is Available from Marine Renewable Resources? Global potential Form Annual generation Tidal energy >300 TWh Marine current power >800 TWh Osmotic power Salinity gradient 2,000 TWh Ocean thermal energy Thermal gradient 10,000 TWh Wave energy 8,000 80,000 TWh Source: IEA-OES, Annual Report 2007 [3]

4 MHE North Carolina Western Boundry Current - Part of the Coastal Studies Institute Renewable Ocean Energy Program

5 Extensive Observations and Modeling: This work gives us information on the potential of offshore energy Gulf Stream underwater turbines Wind Waves Offshore Energy Storage Ocean Thermal Oil and Gas

6 Extensive Ocean Observations Jennette s Pier: Wave energy test site Waverider Buoy: Real time wave measurements North Carolina CODAR HF Radar Sites: Long distance ocean surface current measurements WERA HF Radar Sites: High resolution ocean surface current measurements Moored 150 khz ADCP: Long-term full water column ocean current measurements Moored 300 khz ADCP: Long-term full water column ocean current measurements RV Neil Armstrong Transects: Benthic mapping, several ocean/atmospheric measurements METS Buoy Glider Paths

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8 Expanding Observing Capabilities

9 Innovative System Components Gears, Controls, and Interfaces NC State Research o A Hermetically Sealed Magnetically Geared MHK Generator and NC Manufacturing for Source Laminated Steel Parts for Use in Magnetic Gear Assembly o Tethered Co-axil Turbines for Hydrokinetic Energy Harvesting

10 Innovative System Components Anchoring Systems and Seabed Stability Geotechnical Research Bio-mediated Soil for Mitigation of Scour at Foundation Supporting MHK Devices in Marine Environment Load Capacity Model & Durability of Micropiles Anchoring MHK Devices Structural Health Monitoring of Micropiles for Anchoring MHK off the NC Coast Instability of MHK Structure on Sloping Seabed Coupled with Evolving Morphology Due to Sediment Transport Dynamically Coupling the Impact of MHK Devices on Wave Field & Sediment Transport

11 Marine Hydrokinetic Energy Concept Gulf Stream Current Energy Extraction System Important engineering considerations include the type of turbine, mooring, and anchoring system to be used; the total water depth and bottom type where turbines will be installed; the current variations with depth;.

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13 The Largest Solar Collector is the Ocean Approximately watts (10,000 tetra watts) of solar power reaches the earth s surface, while the power level demanded by modern civilization is watts. The sun provides us with well over 1000 times more energy then is needed by all of civilization, thus all we need to do is harness 0.1 percent of the sun s energy reaching the earth for all our energy needs.

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16 The productive ocean region for OTEC is where the surface water is between 78 and 82 F all year and the underlying water is between 35 and 40 F. A temperature difference of only 36 F can yield usable energy. Take for example the Gulf Stream off the North Carolina coast; it has been estimated that OTEC units spaced a mile apart in this current and operating with an efficiency of only 2%, could produce 30 x kw/hr per year - 13 times the total U.S. consumption of electric power in 2015 continuous with no down time.

17 History Over the past one hundred years, several small OTEC plants have been built The idea was first proposed by D Arsonval in 1881, but it was his student, another French physicist, Georges Claude, who put the idea into practice. In the 1920 s and 1930 s, Claude built and tested several small experimental ocean thermal power plants The operation of an OTEC plant requires no special scientific challenge as its basic processes are well understood

18 Just as a fossil fuel plant runs on hot combustion, The OTEC plant runs on heat from the ocean. In both plants there is a working fluid. The fossil fuel plant uses water and the OTEC system uses a fluid with a lower boiling point, like R717 or ammonia. In both plants the working fluid must be cooled after it has expanded and driven the turbines.

19 Concept -Floating OTEC Plant An OTEC plant might be built on a large floating platform measuring perhaps 400 feet in diameter and extending several hundred feet down into the water. The location of the OTEC plants in a common environment should make it possible to mass produce their components - to build them all to one set of specifications.

20 A 100 MW floating OTEC plant already has been designed. the most challenging comonent of and plant is the Cold Water Pipeline 1000 meters long would have a 10 meter (diameter. Lockheed Martin has developed a method of fabricating this fiberglass pipe while on a floating OTEC platform at sea.

21 OTEC----- LAND BASED

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23 There may be a potential advantage associated with pumping large quantities of cold water to the surface. This deep water could cool surface water which may reduce the intensity of hurricanes and reverse some of the ocean temperature rise.

24 WIND -- Expectation & Development We often hear: Offshore wind power can help to reduce energy imports, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases (by displacing fossil-fuel power generation) And It will, create jobs and local business opportunities. Hard to argue against these statements

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26 OFF SHORE WIND HISTORY Europe is the world leader in offshore wind power, with the first offshore wind farm being installed in Denmark in By January 2014, 69 offshore wind farms had been constructed in Europe with an average annual rated capacity of 482 MW for a total of 16GW (16,000MW) At the end of 2017, the total worldwide offshore wind power capacity was 19 GW. As of September 2018, the 659 MW Walney Extension in the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world. All the largest offshore wind farms are currently in northern Europe, especially in the United Kingdom Denmark and Germany, which together account for over 75% of the total offshore wind power installed worldwide.

27 Technology & Foundations The size and capacity off each turbine unit is continuing to increase. The average offshore wind turbine installed in 2014 had a 377 foot diameter rotor on a 279 foot tall tower. The average capacity of offshore wind turbines installed in 2014 was 3.4 MW. In 2017 Westermost Rough was the first offshore wind farm in the world to make commercial use of 6 MW turbines with 75 meter blades (490 foot diameter) standing 600 feet above the water surface.

28 How Huge is 600 Feet?

29 Offshore turbines require different types of bases for stability, according to the depth of water. To date a number of different solutions exist: A monopile (single column) base, six meters in diameter, is used in waters up to 30 meters deep. Gravity Base Structures, for use at exposed sites in water m deep. Tripod suction caisson structures, in water 20-80m deep. Conventional steel jacket structures, as used in the oil and gas industry, in water 20-80m deep. For locations with depths over about m, fixed foundations are uneconomical or technically unfeasible, and floating wind turbine anchored to the ocean floor are needed.

30 Construction of Monopiles

31 At the end of 2011, the European Wind Energy Association had set a target of 40 GW installed by 2020 however as of 2018 there is 19 GW world wide The Dogger Bank originally projected to produce up to 9 GW of power in 2012, was scaled down to 7.2 GW in 2014 and again scaled down even further to 4.8 GW in 2016 It is not yet under construction.

32 OFFSHORE WIND IN THE UNITED STATES Block Island project- The first and only offshore wind farm constructed in the USA. It is the 30-megawatt, 5 turbine system, It went online in 2017 using 6 Megawatt Turbines

33 Cape Wind is the only large scale wind farm designed and fully permitted but it is not yet constructed. If the project is constructed, it will have a maximum generating capacity of 478 MW using 3 MW turbines. The project was fully designed and permitted by It went to bid for construction in Firms from the US did not win one contract Semans ( a German company) won most of the mechanical work. The project is still not slated to start construction. No power company would come forward to make the PAA. The project is in limbo and may not be constructed after spending millions of dollars in grants and public funding.

34 Delaware took steps to develop offshore wind power, selecting Blue Water Wind to construct a 200 MW facility in As of this date no offshore work has been implemented. In Maine, a deal to build a wind farm fell apart after the state s governor elected to reopen the bidding process to other developers. A Norwegian energy company, Statoil originally won the project. In 2008 New Jersey had a goal of installing 1000MW of offshore wind energy by NJ selected Deepwater Wind to build a 350 MW facility and offered rebates and tax incentives. To date no offshore progress has been made after spending millions.

35 Proposed Off Shore Wind in North Carolina A Spanish energy conglomerate won the rights to develop an offshore wind farm off Kitty Hawk with a $9 million bid to the federal government. The Kitty Hawk auction goes back to 2010, when the agency began working to identify suitable ocean parcels for wind farm development in NC Kitty Hawk could be the first of several commercial-scale offshore wind farms in NC. There are two other North Carolina leasing units, Wilmington East and Wilmington West, that will be offered for lease at a later time. However A Temporary Moratorium on Wind Projects is Proposed in North Carolina Legislature

36 There are reasons why the projected progress of offshore wind power has not progressed as predicted. But I don t have time nor is it the scope to get into those reasons here. But our objective in this presentation is to see how the renewable technologies such as discussed earlier and wind can move forward. So how can offshore wind power and MHK become beneficial and move forward in the US and especially in NC?

37 At this time the US wind industry cannot compete economically with the EU. As of January 2017, German wind turbine manufacturer Siemens and Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas together have installed 80% of the world's offshore wind power capacity. In order for the offshore wind industry in the US to become competitive the wind and petroleum industries should cooperate and combine technology and resources. In further cooperation, since the wind and petro industry have significant funding and production in place, they should be required to contribute to research and prototype facilities of other alternatives such as Marine Hydrokinetic as part of the their continued development. This way all forms of energy would have a seat at the table. This may reduce the competition and bickering among groups since no viable forms of energy production will left out.

38 How would this work????? First we must realize that there is no such thing as wind energy by itself. This is because wind energy is unpredictable and has an uncontrolled output. Therefore wind energy must be permanently paired with a balancing secondary fuel source, which almost always is Gas (i.e. natural gas) or a storage technology. So, what actually exists in the real world is a Wind+Gas/storage package. In other words, the more wind we have, the more other sources must be developed.

39 At this time we have the two divergent camps and they fight each other continuously; one wanting renewables the other pushing forward on petroleum. This conflict drives up the cost of both technologies without additional befit and with long delays in implementation. The take away here is petroleum and wind can be synergistic and also be helpful to upcoming and new technologies which will not have production plants for a least 15 years and reach full maturity for 30 years.

40 Offshore Wind Farms could be a power source and petroleum platforms The Gullfaks and Snorre fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf are working on powering the offshore gas industry with offshore wind power from floating offshore wind turbines. This is the first time an offshore wind farm is directly connected to oil and gas platforms. The aim of the project is to reduce the use of gas turbines by supplying the platforms with wind power.

41 Foundation Development Given the similarity between the foundations and substructures needed for offshore wind development and those used by the oil and gas industry, combining the existing manufacturing workforce and infrastructure technology can make the US offshore wind program completive with the EU. Developers are experimenting with different designs in the hope of driving down costs. Such as Foundations that twist three piles around a central column, similar to structures used for offshore oil and gas platforms. As turbines get larger, these multi-pile designs may be more stable and cost effective.

42 Access to turbines is by helicopter or service access vessel. As with off shore petroleum, Turbines are much less accessible when offshore (requiring the use of a service vessel for routine access, and a jack up rig for heavy service such as gearbox replacement). Maintenance organizations perform maintenance and repairs of the components. Some wind farms located far from possible onshore bases have service teams living on site in offshore accommodation units similar to those used by the petroleum industry.

43 Petroleum Resource Verification Big movements in the price of oil can have significant effects in the general economy countries with the most oil within their borders are set to benefit as demand for crude continues to rise. It is important to determine if there is a significant petroleum resource off our coast. Then we can make informed decisions on the energy sources that should be developed. Then the issue of seismic testing surfaces. Before I get into some of the perceived environment impacts of seismic survey, I would like us to understand that LD completed surveys forty years ago with no environmental impacts or public concern. Similar more comprehensive seismic surveys will be needed to understand the subsurface conditions to design the piling system to support for offshore wind turbines and there does not seem to be public concern for these surveys.

44 Seismic Testing Impacts There is strong evidence that man made air blast impulses required for seismic surveys, have no significant effect on marine mammals. The most comprehensive research studies were conducted by Woodside Institute in 2007 in and around Scott Reef off of the north west Australia coast. Additionally: Studies were done by leading researchers from all over the world. They examined the impacts of a seismic survey on marine life and concluded that it caused: no significant, long-term impact on fish behavior in either caged or wild fish no hearing impacts (temporary or permanent) in fish no long-term effects on fish or coral populations no observed physiological effects or mortality in other marine fauna.

45 Environmental Impacts of Seismic Testing In Canada in 2004, teams of scientists prepared major literature reviews of the primary and secondary literature that reported on experimental studies and field monitoring of the effects of sound, particularly seismic sound, on marine organisms. These have been published as a Review of Scientific Information on Impacts of Seismic Sound on Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Turtles and Marine Mammals. These studies have not found evidence that suggests any link between seismic surveys and adverse impacts on marine life.

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47 Final Summary There does not seem to be any logical reason to impede the required seismic survey necessity to determine the structures required for wind turbine foundations or the available petroleum resource Since the wind and petroleum industry have significant funding, as part of the continued development of the these energy sources they should be required to contribute to research, prototype, and production facilities of other alternatives such as Marine Hydrokinetics (Ocean Thermal Energy and Energy Current Turbines). Such cooperation would save money, time, and reduce political controversy. It would increase our energy resource development more efficiently.

48 CONCLUSIONS One of the important conclusions that we confirmed with this research is that each of the presented alternates have positive attributes and pit falls. But also each of the alternatives have unique qualities that can be used for the benefit of the other alternatives. If the public and legislators allow a coordinated effort among the energy sources to work together and share cost instead of a fight for total control all will benefit. The overall cost energy will be reduced and work will be implemented sooner. Nicholas De Gennaro PhD PE & Mike Muglia

49 It takes an enormous number of wind turbines to even roughly approximate the average output of a single gas well. For example (see here), to match the energy output of the One offshore gas well, it would take 7700 offshore wind turbines covering an area the size of the state of Rhode Island!

50 There is much more offshore oil and gas activity on Australia s west coast than on its east coast, but the rates of humpback population increase are almost identical. There is no evidence that seismic surveys off Western Australia have harmed Australia s humpback whale populations.

51 Summary-Benefits and Opportunities of OTEC Immense Resource: OTEC is solar power, using the oceans as a thermal storage system for 24-hour production. Unlike other renewable energies, the maximum available energy from OTEC is not limited by land, shorelines, water, environmental impact, human impact, etc. Baseload Power: OTEC produces electricity continuously, 24 hours a day throughout the entire year. Large, baseload OTEC plants could actually start to replace fossil-fuel-fired power plants without compromising grid stability. Dispatchable Power: OTEC is dispatchable, meaning that its power can be ramped up and down quickly (in a matter of seconds) to compensate for fluctuating power demand or supply from intermittent renewables. For this reason, OTEC is complementary to other renewables like solar and wind, and could enable further penetration on the grid while helping to maintain its stability. Security: OTEC offers the opportunity of tapping an immense energy resource that is not controlled by other nations. Renewable: OTEC is conservatively believed to be sustainable at four or more times man s current total electrical energy production. Electricity without CO2 Additional Product's: Cold nutrient rich sea water can be used for aquaculture potable water air conditioning Fuel productions electrolysis of sea water can produce hydrogen fuel. When burned will produce H2O Clean Energy: OTEC has the potential of being a very clean alternative energy unique for a firm power source capable of providing massive energy needs. The environmental risk with OTEC is very low. Offshore: OTEC production occurs offshore. Land resources are not needed other than for on-shore landing. OTEC is not competing for other vital resources such as food and fresh water.

52 Europe has poured $1.2 trillion into the green energy industry to fight global warming, but its carbon dixoide (CO2) emissions and power bills just keep rising. The German government estimates that it will spend over $1.1 trillion financially supporting wind power, even though building wind turbines hasn t achieved the government s goal of actually reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to slow global warming.

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54 Extensive Observations and Modeling informs offshore energy development: Gulf Stream underwater turbines Wind Waves Offshore Energy Storage Device testing Oil and Gas

55 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a process that can produce electricity by using the temperature difference between deep cold ocean water and warm tropical surface waters. OTEC plants pump large quantities of deep cold seawater and surface seawater to run a power cycle and produce electricity. OTEC is firm power (24/7), a clean energy source, environmentally sustainable and capable of providing massive levels of energy

56 The heat exchanger test facility is a 40 -tall tower that supports up to three different evaporators, three different condensers, 24 seawater piping, and an accurately instrumented ammonia working fluid piping system with two pumps and pressure vessels. The test facility allows Makai to measure the performance of evaporators and condensers, as a function of water velocity, temperature difference, and ammonia flow rate. The figure to the right shows the facility under construction in mid-october 2010, portions of these systems are visible

57 Kilowatt Megawatt Gigawatt Terawatt thousand million billion trillion

58 The U.K. president for German energy giant EON stated wind power requires 90% backup from gas or coal plants due to its unreliable and intermittent nature. The average efficiency of onshore wind power generation, accepted by Ontario s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and other grid operators, is 30% of their rated capacity; On occasion, wind turbines will generate power at levels over 90% and other times at 0% of capacity When wind power is generated during low demand hours, the utilities are is forced to spill hydro, steam off nuclear or curtail power from the wind turbines, in order to manage the grid. When wind turbines operate at lower capacity levels during peak demand times, other suppliers such as gas plants are called on for what is needed to meet demand.

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60 'D. Savidge, A. Boyette, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography'

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