Teams Ride Wave of Winnings to Succeed in Water Desalination Challenge
Renewable energy is all around us. Both the sun and the wind help power the United States’ electric grid, but the existing infrastructure may not be able to support all of us — especially in the event of a natural disaster.
Oncoming storms and hurricanes create challenges for remote, coastal, and island communities, like reliable access to energy and drinking water. To help communities overcome these challenges, innovators are tapping into another renewable resource: the power of ocean waves.
To design wave-powered desalination devices that could be used in disaster recovery scenarios and freshwater-scarce coastal and island locations, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched the $3.3 million Waves to Water Prize. The five-stage competition incentivizes a diverse group of innovators to create small, modular, cost-competitive desalination systems powered by clean energy from ocean waves.
In February 2021, WPTO selected 10 teams as winners of the competition’s third stage, ADAPT. With a portion of the $800,000 cash prize pool, each team moved on to the fourth (and next to last) CREATE Stage. Three of those 10 winning teams — ReVision, Canvasback Desalination System, and CalWave Power Technologies — have competed in other current DOE marine energy competitions. Now, they are relying on this practice to gain an edge in the Waves to Water challenge.
Practiced Competitors Dive Into New Prize
The California-based ReVision team is not only participating in the Waves to Water competition, they are also simultaneously competing in the Ocean Observing Prize, where they recently advanced to the BUILD Contest. With seven engineers and over a decade of experience in numerical analysis, controls, and hydrokinetic energy (power created from moving water), the team created a desalination system powered by a wave energy converter. Their scalable technology is designed to meet the operational requirements of reverse-osmosis systems, which push saltwater through a membrane to remove impurities, and deliver continuous power output. Now, during the CREATE Stage, the team is refining its design to capture even more power.
Two companies — Wave Venture and Jack’s Plastic Welding — teamed up to create the Canvasback Desalination System. While Ireland-based Wave Venture analyzes the performance of each component within the device, New-Mexico-based Jack’s Plastic Welding Inc. fabricates the body. With their diverse knowledge and experience, the duo engineered their Canvasback Desalination System from standard parts for simple installation and operation. The octagon-shaped, inflatable raft has a compact design for easy transport. On its top, an elastic covering bulges in and out with the motion of the waves, creating enough force to power the reverse-osmosis pump that turns seawater into fresh water.
Wave Venture is also currently competing in the Ocean Observing Prize’s BUILD Contest. Jack’s Plastic Welding previously partnered with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to build rescue rafts for astronauts who land in the ocean.
In 2020, the CalWave Power Technologies Inc. team won the Nautilus Grand Prize from the first Ocean Observing Prize DISCOVER Competition. They also competed in WPTO’s Wave Energy Prize in 2016. For the 2021 Waves to Water competition, the California-based company has designed the CalWave HydroNode. The HydroNode is a lightweight, low-profile, inflatable buoy that can be deployed from a small boat. The device generates power using a winch connected to an anchor on the seabed. As waves rock the device, the motion of the winch produces energy to power a land-based, reverse-osmosis system that can supply about 6 liters of fresh water per hour.
On the Final Laps
Up to seven CREATE Stage winners will share the $500,000 cash prize pool and move on to the final stage of the competition, DRINK. Then, they will have 180 days to build and ship their systems to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, North Carolina.
The Coastal Studies Institute, part of the University of North Carolina system, and Jennette’s Pier have partnered with WPTO and NREL to host the prize finalists in North Carolina in April 2022. The pier will serve as the competitors’ main test site where judges will assess how their final designs perform during a 5-day, open-ocean trial.
Competitors are receiving support from prize sponsors, including Janicki Industries, a full-service engineering and manufacturing company that is consulting with teams on how to manufacture their design. Teams can also work with the International Desalination Association, which is connecting them with the desalination community and providing access to technical training seminars. Engineering for Change is providing additional support through mentor recruitment and training materials.
This spotlight article series features competitors from academia, industry, and entrepreneurial contestants who have moved on to the next-to-last stage of this year’s Waves to Water Prize. Learn more about the various Waves to Water ADAPT Stage winners in upcoming and past articles. You can also follow competition news and progress on Twitter @AMCprizes and learn more about NREL’s water power and water treatment research online.
Article courtesy of NREL.
Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.
As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.
“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”
This Orange looks good in blue
One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).
“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”
We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.
HEP-isode 26
SOURCE | IMAGES: YMX Logistics.
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On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.
We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.
You can watch the episode, below.
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Read more: Farm-fegnugen? Volkswagen rolls out an electric tractor.
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Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.
The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.
Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.
Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.
The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.
“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”
The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.
San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.
Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.
Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.
Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online
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