Making Waves: Integral Research on New Modeling Tool Published in Energies

Change in sediment bed shear stress due to the presence of a wave energy converter array during a southwest swell.

The best coastal locations for capturing marine renewable energy provide a balance between maximizing the available resource and minimizing the environmental effects. However, developers and regulators may have only limited information on potential environmental risk associated with deployment of offshore arrays. Integral staff Craig Jones, Ph.D., Grace Chang, Ph.D., Kaustubha Raghukumar, Ph.D., and Samuel McWilliams, E.I.T., along with scientists from Sandia National Laboratories, are developing and demonstrating the use of a quantitative Spatial Environmental Assessment Tool (SEAT) for evaluating the potential effects of wave energy converter arrays on nearshore hydrodynamics and sediment transport. The use of quantitative models enables developers and regulators to better understand the marine environment and plan for the deployment of these arrays. Their results are published in the August issue of Energies. View article.

Jones, C., G. Chang, K. Raghukumar, S. McWilliams, A. Dallman, and J. Roberts. 2018. Spatial Environmental Assessment Tool (SEAT): A Modeling Tool to Evaluate Potential Environmental Risks Associated with Wave Energy Converter Deployments. Energies 11(8):2036.

For more information, contact Craig Jones at cjones@integral-corp.com or Grace Chang at gchang@integral-corp.com.