Pacific Northwest National Laboratory News

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have launched an 18-month initiative to gather extensive weather, ocean, and wildlife data near the sites of active offshore wind farms and lease areas off the coast of the Northeast United States.This effort, which is part of the third phase of the Wind Forecast Improvement Project (WFIP3), seeks to gather high-quality data to improve the design and operation of offshore wind turbines and wind farms.

Seattle shipyard Snow & Company has launched a new 15-meter hybrid catamaran research vessel that will be operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The plug-in hybrid research vessel, Resilience, will be delivered to the Department of Energy's (DOE) PNNL-Sequim marine research facility in 2024.The Incat Crowther designed vessel, equipped with both standard diesel engines and electric motors, will be the first hybrid vessel in the DOE fleet. The vessel will be powered by an advanced parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system…

Snow & Company of Seattle started construction of a 50-ft. hybrid research vessel for the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.Dubbed RV Resilience, the boat is designed by Incat Crowther with propulsion integration provided by Pacific Power. Hybrid propulsion will be accomplished by joining twin Volvo Penta D8-510 (374kW) marine engines, and two Danfoss Editron 20kW motor-generators. Power is stored using a Spear Trident battery system. This combination allows the vessel to operate in a zero-emission “quiet” state…

Danfoss Power Solutions’ Editron division has been chosen by the Pacific Power Group and Seattle shipbuilder Snow & Company to provide the drivetrain system powering the U.S. Department of Energy’s first hybrid-electric research vessel. Due to enter operation in February 2023, the vessel will be used by PNNL-Sequim.The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a research center specializing in research advancing sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage.

Seattle shipyard Snow & Company has started building a new 15m hybrid catamaran research vessel for operation by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.The Incat Crowther designed vessel will be powered by an advanced parallel hybrid-electric propulsion system, consisting of two Volvo Penta D8-510 main engines, capable of producing 374 kW each, supplemented by two Danfoss Editron EM-PMI375-T200-2600 motor-generators. Power is stored using a state-of-the-art Spear Trident battery system…

Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is improving radiation scanning equipment used at many of our nation's ports of entry. Radiation portal monitors (RPM) now better detect radiological threats while alarming much less frequently on nonthreatening materials, resulting in big savings. The improvements, known as Revised Operational Settings (ROS), are being implemented during the annual calibrations of radiation portal monitors used to detect radiological threats in cargo and conveyances entering the U.S. through official ports of entry.

Thomas Alva Edison, who is considered to be one of the most prolific inventors in history, once said, “I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it.” His invention of the long-lasting electric light bulb was exactly what the world needed and has revolutionized the way we live today. Since then, the explosive growth of the electric power industry has brought about as many challenges as it has accomplishments. What the world needs now are solutions for the critical issues affecting modern power systems. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.

Renewable energy technology developer, Principle Power, was awarded a Department of Energy grant worth $4M and up to $47M in total funding, to support its WindFloat Pacific Demonstration Project. Principle Power has announced the list of official project partners, all marked to deliver essential contributions to the WindFloat project. The list of project partners include MacArtney Underwater Technology, Siemens Wind Power, Houston Offshore Engineering, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory…

FuelCell Energy Inc. awarded US$3.8-million contract by U.S. Navy to develop power system for unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). FuelCell Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of fuel cell power plants, announce a US$3.8-million contract award from the U.S. Navy to develop and test a Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)-Battery power system for large displacement undersea vehicle propulsion. The objective of the project is to develop a refuelable power system, with high energy density, that is suitable for undertaking long duration underwater missions of unmanned submersibles. The Hybrid SOFC-Battery system will be capable of generating 1,800 kilowatt hours of electricity during a 70 day mission with no exhaust discharged outside of the vehicle at any time.