How PSU will put $4.5 M to work advancing wave energy

With a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Water Power Technologies Office, PSU researchers will test and validate a new type of electromagnetic device that turns ocean waves into a source of renewable energy. This novel technology will be able to harness more power from waves—possibly 10 times more—than currently available technology. The project is part of a $25 million initiative through DOE to advance the commercial viability of wave energy through open water testing at the PacWave site on the Oregon Coast. 

“The ocean contains huge amounts of energy that is untapped,” said Jonathan Bird, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and recipient of the grant. “If we could find a way of generating electricity from the sea, it would provide a third renewable energy source that would be very reliable.”

Wave energy technologies can help accelerate the transition to a carbon-free electricity grid. Waves are created when wind blows over the surface of open water in the ocean, and this movement results in a substantial amount of natural energy. Wave energy converters, which capture and convert waves into carbon-free electricity, require testing in realistic conditions to be deployed at scale. 

In 2016, Oregon State University researchers partnered with DOE to create the PacWave open-water testing facility and have now shifted primarily to testing wave energy systems. Bird and his group at PSU are reimagining the wave energy converter technology in these systems. The group’s technical innovations may be the lynch pin that makes wave energy a realistic form of renewable energy for the first time. 

Developing wave energy converters that are economically viable has been a tricky proposition thus far.

“The ocean moves at a very low speed, and the forces are very high,” said Bird. “This makes it difficult to convert that into the high speed, low torque needed for power generation. It’s a very challenging source of energy.” But research coming from Bird’s lab at PSU may be changing the score. 

Bird and his lab have developed magnetic gears (video) and adjustable magnetic springs that allow a wave energy converter to resonate with the sea. 

“If you can tune the wave energy converter to be at the same frequency as the wave motion, then you can generate a lot more power, like 10 times more,” said Bird. This new technology should also be better able to withstand storm conditions and require less maintenance. Because they can be smaller and more efficient than converters that rely on traditional technology, these new converters are more likely to be cost effective and able to compete with other forms of energy. 

Oregon lawmakers are advocates for the effort to develop wave energy expertise in Oregon, known for its rugged coastline. 

“PacWave in Oregon is at the forefront of wave energy, thanks in large part to the visionary researchers at Oregon State University. This federal investment of $25 million will allow innovative technologies from across the country, including one from Portland State University, to be tested right here in Oregon, bringing us closer to realizing the potential of this tremendous resource,” said U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01). “I’ve long been a champion for wave energy because it can play an important part in our transition to a clean energy economy.”

“Wave energy is an essential piece of the strategy to combat the climate crisis, and I’m gratified that Oregon State University, Portland State University and our state will play a central role in developing this energy source to its full potential,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (OR). “I look forward very much to what the innovative minds at both OSU and PSU as well as elsewhere develop with these projects that put our country on the path to a clean energy future.”

At PSU, Bird and his group will focus on refining the design of the electromagnetic component parts. Construction of the parts will be done by Bird’s start-up company, FluxMagic, which employs PSU students and has operated out of the Portland State Business Accelerator since August 2019. The Portland-based startup AquaHarmonics will then integrate the components into the buoy-like wave energy converter, which will be tested in a wave tank at Oregon State and then at the PacWave site. 

At the PacWave facility, Bird will be able to test the feasibility of his designs in the open ocean without going through any additional permitting processes. Together with Aquaharmonic, Bird will this year begin testing magnetic prototypes in a wave tank at Oregon State University and is eager to have the chance to try it at sea. “I'm trying to show that the idea should work,” he said. “So it's kind of exciting.”