The Atlantic Marine Energy Center, a part of the Department of Energy, has allocated $12 million to a research project at Stony Brook University aimed at advancing marine energy. The project is led by Ali Khosronejad from the Department of Civil Engineering and involves collaboration with the University of New Hampshire, Lehigh University, and the Coastal Studies Institute in North Carolina. Stony Brook's primary contribution to the project is through computational research using artificial intelligence and supercomputers.
"The main goal is basically to power the blue economy [ocean resources for economic growth]," said Khosronejad. "What we want to do is help the industry, startups and companies, and research institutes to test their devices and examine their performance before employing them. The other part of the project is to harness wave energy for agriculture."
The team includes Ali Khosronejad (PI), Rigoberto Burgueño (co-PI), Paolo Celli (co-PI), Georgios Moutsanidis (co-PI) from civil engineering, and Fang Luo (co-PI) from electrical and computer engineering. Their work focuses on developing durable turbine blade materials for marine environments, collaborating with startups on device testing, and offering bootcamps and short courses on technology use.
Engagement with the marine energy industry forms another critical aspect of this initiative. The team aims to aid the industry in understanding marine energy resources while fostering sustainable ocean-based aquaculture. Currently, they are working with Verdon Power in New York City to test products in areas like Long Island Sound and East River.
"The other part of the project is to work with coastal communities to build trust so that they learn how they can harness the marine energy that’s available on the East Coast," added Khosronejad. "If a company or industry partner wants to test their new device for renewable energy, they can bring it to our partner university."
Challenges include addressing knowledge gaps about turbine-environment interactions such as sediment impact and effects on local fish populations.
"Modern wind energy is about 25 years old... But marine energy is a relatively new concept," noted Khosronejad. "That is why DOE supports such research centers in collaboration with universities."
Project participants express enthusiasm for both their research possibilities and Stony Brook's role.
"We are very excited about our department’s research activity growth in renewable energy," said Rigoberto Burgueño. "Our geographical location suits us well for developing knowledge and technology related to marine energy."