DECEMBER 2023 / JANUARY 2024

Year in Review: 2023 Highlights from the Triton Initiative

Triton aims to reduce barriers to permitting and facilitating the deployment of marine energy devices by contributing knowledge and data around potential environmental impacts. Each year, the projects and research efforts change, but the mission stays the same. From technology validation tests at our home campus in Sequim, Washington, to conducting laboratory experiments at the University of Washington, and exploring new field sites to deploy a tethered balloon system in California, the Triton team accomplished a lot in 2023! Here are a few highlights from the past year: 

Advancing Acoustic Particle Motion Research

An acoustic particle motion sensor and hydrophone package being prepared to be deployed in Sequim Bay, Washington. (Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Triton’s Acoustic Particle Motion research team, led by Joe Haxel, is helping investigate acoustic particle motion as an aspect of underwater noise that has not been well studied, particularly for the marine energy industry. Sources of underwater sound generate both pressure and particle motion components. To date, underwater noise research has largely focused on investigating the impacts of acoustic pressure on marine animals, specifically marine mammals. However, all fish and many aquatic invertebrates are sensitive to the particle motion component of sound, particularly in low frequencies, making it an important topic for understanding underwater noise impacts more comprehensively.

Joe Haxel and Triton fish biologist Garrett Staines co-authored a paper in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America entitled, “Marine Energy Converters: Potential Acoustic Effects on Fishes and Aquatic Invertebrates.” In the paper, the authors provide an analysis of major data gaps in the understanding of acoustic particle motion from marine energy converters and possible effects on aquatic life forms.

Part of this research also involved working with industry partners to develop and test a custom-built particle motion sensor and hydrophone instrument package. The team put the sensors to the test in Sequim Bay, Washington. With this research, the team aims to increase understanding around the possible effects of acoustic particle motion and underwater noise from marine energy devices and aims to deploy the recording pack near operational wave energy converters at the U.S. Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Hawaii. Before being able to assess the possible impacts for marine animals, it is essential to characterize some of the sounds they may be exposed to in their marine habitats.

Learn more about Triton’s acoustic particle motion research here.

Testing and Developing Flow Shields

A hydrophone being equipped with a flow shield before being deployed in Sequim Bay to test its efficiency in reducing flow noise. (Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

As part of Triton’s underwater noise research, Emma Cotter and Joe Haxel lead a project testing and developing various flow shields to reduce the effects of flow noise. Flow noise describes acoustic pressure fluctuations from turbulence, caused by the flow of water past an acoustic sensor—similar to the unwelcome sound you hear when talking on the phone on a windy day. Triton developed several flow shields intended to reduce the effects of flow noise during underwater noise monitoring and improve the quality of measurements taken. The research resulted in the development of flow shields that can be used by both researchers as well as wave and tidal energy developers to improve underwater noise characterization at marine energy sites.

Triton’s Research Reached New Heights

The deployed tethered balloon system equipped with the two-gimbal arm and sensor package. (Photo by Alicia Amerson | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) 

In partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, the Marine Wildlife Detection and Tracking Project team, led by Alicia Amerson, deployed and validated a tethered balloon system used to advance capabilities for tracking and detecting marine animals near marine energy sites. This aerial technology could help researchers overcome the battery, payload, and flight limitations involved with using small unoccupied aerial systems, commonly known as drones. This project intends to provide researchers with a new approach to address important questions about animal behavior in marine environments, ultimately aiming to facilitate reducing associated barriers to marine energy testing and deployments. This year the team co-authored an article, titled “Validating a Tethered Balloon System and Optical Technologies for Marine Wildlife Detection and Tracking” which presents results from a validation test conducted in Galveston Bay near La Porte, Texas, where the team evaluated a technology package comprising a tethered balloon system and a suite of sensors to gather thermal images and multispectral data to detect marine-mammal-shaped models. To learn more, watch this video.

Soon the team will enter the next phase of the project and deploy the tethered balloon system off the coast of Granite Canyon, California to monitor marine wildlife at sea. 

Developing Tangible Collision Risk Solutions

University of Washington’s Isabella Pestovski tests a model of a marine mammal in the Alice C. Tyler flume. (Photograph courtesy of the University of Washington) 

The Integrated Collision Detection and Mitigation (ICDM) project, led by Triton engineers Molly Grear and Emma Cotter, aims to explore if strain gauges integrated into turbine blades can be utilized to detect an animal’s presence and mitigate potential impact. Molly and Emma are both University of Washington, Seattle (UW) graduates and were recently highlighted in the University’s Alumni magazine. The article highlights how Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and UW have partnered to advance collision risk mitigation technologies for marine energy applications.   

The team is working in a controlled, simulated environment at the UW Harris Hydraulics Laboratory, to assess whether it is possible to use sensors integrated into turbine blades to detect possible collisions of marine animals and current energy converters. This controlled setup allows the researchers to perform experiments with marine mammal models that aim to simulate the force on the turbine blade if a collision were to occur. Through this research, they are investigating if it’s possible to use data from the sensors to control the turbine’s operation, so the blades could be slowed down if the sensors detect an oncoming collision.  

Read the story here.

For more information on the ICDM project, visit the website here. 

News

Marine Energy Careers Panel

Researchers preparing the acoustic particle motion sensor for testing in the Sequim Bay. (Photo by Shanon Dell | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Are you interested working to help build a clean energy future? Ocean Energy Systems-Environmental (OES), Triton, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory invite you to join an informational webinar featuring national laboratory staff working to advance the marine energy industry on Wednesday, February 7, from 3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. PT. Staff across various research disciplines will discuss their waterpower careers (past, present, and future), backgrounds, education, career paths, and current projects. In addition to dialogue surrounding the specific careers of each speaker, topics ranging from mentorship, networking, and interpersonal communication skills will be addressed to extend advice to students who are preparing to graduate or seek out internship experiences. We will wrap up with an open Q&A, so come prepared with questions! The target audience is students and early career professionals. Register here.

Happy New Year from the Triton Initiative!

The Triton team hopes you had a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy start to the new year! We’ve accomplished so much in the past year, and we could not have done it without great partnerships and the support of our sponsor. We extend gratitude to our collaborators and to you for following along and supporting our efforts!

We look forward to sharing all of our work planned for 2024. If you would like to receive additional information or want to reach out to the Triton team, please ask our team or e-mail tritonmre@pnnl.gov. If you know someone who might enjoy Triton updates, please forward this newsletter along!

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Triton is designed to support the development and testing of more precise and cost-effective environmental monitoring technologies for marine energy. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory leads Triton on behalf of the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office.

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