Sandia Labs FY22 Laboratory Directed Research & Development Annual Report

OVERCOMING WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER GRID INTEGRATION CHALLENGES BY PROVIDING A COMPLETE POWER FORECAST AT ELECTRICAL GRID CONNECTIONS. Integration of renewable power sources into electrical grids remains an active R&D area, particularly for less developed renewable energy technologies, such

as wave energy converters (WEC). High spatio-temporal resolution and accurate wave forecasts at a potential WEC (or WEC array) lease area are necessary to improve WEC power prediction and facilitate grid integration, particularly for microgrid locations. This project leveraged the availability of high-quality measurement data from recently

developed low-cost measurement buoys to allow for operational assimilation of wave data into forecast models at remote locations where real-time data have previously been unavailable. In partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, buoys were deployed offshore of the remote and 100%

‘Complete’ wave power forecast: Incoming wave spectra forecast feeds into array and energy storage control, providing power forecast at grid connection.

diesel-reliant community of Yakutat, AK (a potential wave energy deployment site). The buoy data was utilized for improved wave forecasting through data assimilation. This was integrated with WEC farm operational controls and energy storage systems to significantly increase accuracy and certainty of wave power forecasts into the grid, balance the energy variability, and obtain resiliency and security. Results from this project include nine publications,

PI Ann Dallman received a Society of Women Engineers Distinguished New Engineer 2021 award for technical accomplishments and leadership in her first 10 years, which included leadership of this LDRD.

including “Extending Complex Conjugate Control to Nonlinear Wave Energy Converters” in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering , and “ Wave Sequential Data Assimilation in Support of Wave Energy Converter Power Prediction” in arXiv (preprint), one Technical Advance, and a patent application. (PI: Ann Dallman)

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LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT