Articles tagged with "ocean-technology"
Can Your Wave Energy Technology Survive the Ocean? - CleanTechnica
The article discusses SEA-Stack, an innovative, free, open-source modeling tool designed to help developers rapidly assess and optimize floating wave energy technologies and other water-based devices. SEA-Stack integrates multiple wave energy modeling capabilities into a single, user-friendly platform, enabling quick simulations ranging from simple design assessments to complex analyses that incorporate intricate ocean physics. Leveraging high-performance computing and machine learning, SEA-Stack is significantly faster—10 to 100 times—than previous tools and can process the latest wave energy data, making it a versatile "Swiss Army knife" for wave energy developers and related marine technology fields. Wave energy devices have strong potential to contribute to a secure and resilient power system by harnessing predictable ocean wave energy, but they face significant engineering challenges due to the harsh ocean environment. Traditional testing methods are costly and risky, as prototypes can fail or underperform when exposed to real ocean conditions. Existing modeling tools are limited in their ability to simulate critical features such as flexible device components, collisions, and
energywave-energyrenewable-energyocean-technologyenergy-modelinghigh-performance-computingmachine-learningPortable underwater X-ray lets divers inspect submerged objects safely in real time
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a groundbreaking portable underwater X-ray imaging system that allows divers to inspect the interiors of submerged objects in real time. This compact, lightweight device can be operated by a single diver and provides immediate images on-site, overcoming previous challenges of underwater X-ray imaging such as water’s weakening effect on X-rays and safety risks associated with gamma radiation. Specialized image processing techniques enhance clarity, enabling detailed inspections in difficult underwater conditions. The system has been successfully field-tested in ocean environments, demonstrating reliability and ease of transport and setup without heavy infrastructure. The technology holds significant potential for various industries, including maritime safety, infrastructure inspection, and oil and gas. It can be used to examine ship hulls, weld joints on bridge supports, pipelines, and oil rig structures more quickly, safely, and precisely than existing methods. Recognized with a 2025 R&D 100 Award and being commercialized by The Sexton Corporation, the system represents a major advancement by bridging laboratory X
energyunderwater-imagingportable-X-rayinspection-technologyORNLsafety-inspectionocean-technologyUndersea Desalination Pods To Solve Water And Energy Woes
The article discusses an innovative solution to the high energy demands of seawater desalination, a process increasingly critical due to climate change and population growth. California startup OceanWell has developed undersea desalination "pods" that leverage the natural pressure found at depths of around 400 meters to reduce energy consumption by approximately 40%. Unlike conventional onshore desalination plants, which require significant energy to pressurize seawater for reverse osmosis, these pods operate underwater, using ambient ocean pressure to drive the process. This approach also offers logistical advantages, such as avoiding the crowded coastal zones where traditional plants face regulatory and environmental hurdles, exemplified by the decades-long, ultimately canceled Huntington Beach onshore project. OceanWell’s pods also address environmental concerns by enabling more effective diffusion of brine waste in the ocean, reducing the need for costly protective measures. The company has progressed from initial development to testing a single pod in an onshore reservoir designed to minimize ecological impacts. Supported by multiple California water districts and with interest
energydesalinationocean-technologywater-treatmentrenewable-energyenvironmental-technologysustainable-infrastructureWWII destroyer Teruzuki found after 80 years beneath Pacific waters
The Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki, lost for over 80 years, has been discovered off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands at a depth of more than 800 meters in Iron Bottom Sound. The Akizuki-class destroyer, commissioned in 1942 and designed to protect aircraft carriers from aerial attacks, was sunk during intense naval battles in late 1942 while escorting supply ships. The wreck was located by scientists aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust’s Exploration Vessel Nautilus using remotely operated vehicles guided by sonar data from the University of New Hampshire’s uncrewed surface vessel DriX. This marks the first confirmed underwater sighting of Teruzuki, whose plans and images were previously unknown due to wartime secrecy. The discovery revealed critical details about the ship’s sinking, including a severed 19-meter-long stern segment found over 200 meters from the main hull, which disproves earlier theories that depth charges caused the ship’s destruction. Instead, sonar data confirmed that American
robotIoTunderwater-explorationremotely-operated-vehiclessonar-technologymaritime-archaeologyocean-technologyHERO’s Mission: An Elevator Part Could Bolster Marine Energy Technologies - CleanTechnica
energymarine-energywave-energy-converterspolyurethane-materialsdesalinationrenewable-energyocean-technology