Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Support Types:

Non-Open Water, Tunnel, Flume, Tank & Basin, Laboratory & Bench, Open Water Capabilities, Open Water, Open Water Facilities

Application Areas:

Auxiliary Systems, Component Integration, Environmental Effects, Full System, Hydrodynamics, Resource Characterization, Site Characterization

Technology Relevance:

Current, OTEC, Tidal, Wave

Location: 1529 W Sequim Bay Rd, Sequim, WA

Facility Overview

The PNNL-Sequim campus is the U.S. Department of Energy’s only Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory (MCRL). With over 15,000 ft²of laboratory space located adjacent to the tidal channel at the mouth of Sequim Bay in Washington State, MCRL is uniquely positioned to support marine energy research from laboratory scale to field scale. MCRL research is supported by more than 80 staff members with expertise in ocean engineering, biotechnology, biogeochemistry, ecosystems science, earth systems modeling, and in-water field work. MCRL can support a range of marine energy research, including prototype-scale wave or tidal device testing, environmental monitoring, and biofouling testing.

PNNL-Sequim campus Marine and Coastal Research Laboratory

Facility Capabilities

Rapid prototyping (FDM and SLA 3D printing, shop tools, etc.) for fixturing and sensor integration, wide range of electronics diagnostic tools (scopes, probes, power meters, etc.), indoor and outdoor laydown areas for large systems, and vehicles and trailers for towing or moving equipment (e.g., telehandler).

2 Facility Capabilities

Electrical Power Hardware Testing
Materials Testing

Contact

Nichole Sather

nichole.sather@pnnl.gov

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Biofouling/Biocorrosion Mesocosms – These seawater mesocosms are open water and controlled low-flow and high-flow exposure systems for evaluating and understanding biofouling and biocorrosion processes. Multiple volumes are available, from 0.5 L to 1,800 L tanks and flow chambers. Additional instruments enable measurement of contact angles, total carbon and nitrogen, and photographic recording.

2 Facility Capabilities

Tank
Mesocosm

Contact

Nichole Sather

nichole.sather@pnnl.gov

PNNL and the U.S. Department of Energy have worked with federal, state, tribal and local governments to obtain permits for research at or near MCRL as well as at alternative field sites to the north and west of Sequim Bay. MCRL’s marine operations team has experience installing equipment on or in the seabed, floating platforms, and moored buoys. MCRL also has experience and instrumentation to conduct passive (e.g., hydrophones) or active (e.g., sonars) acoustic environmental monitoring, electromagnetic field studies, biofouling studies, or hydrodynamic site characterization. For open water tests in the Pacific Northwest, PNNL’s fleet of research vessels and scientific dive team can support testing.

10 Facility Capabilities

Electromagnetic Fields
Habitat & Species Monitoring
Instrumentation Deployment
Bathymetry
Current Profile
Current Profile Transect
Sediment
Turbulence
Underwater Noise
Waves

Contact

Nichole Sather

nichole.sather@pnnl.gov

MCRL has federal authorizations and state and local permits for in-water research activities in three different environmental conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington: 1) quiescent waters (max depth 60 m) in Sequim Bay, 2) a tidal channel at the entrance to Sequim Bay (peak flow speeds approximately 2.5 m/s) and 3) open water suitable for small-scale wave energy testing (Clallam Bay) at two locations in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Permits cover installation of equipment, including energy harvesting systems, on or in the seabed as well as deployment of floating platforms or moored buoys, including floating tidal energy systems or wave energy converters. Permits also include operation of acoustic or emitting devices at select frequencies, electromagnetic fields studies, and habitat and species surveys. A network of continuously operational sensors on PNNL’s research pier (https://mcrldata.pnnl.gov/) provides consistent measurements of water quality, flow speed, and meteorological conditions in Sequim Bay. The CRABEE (https://www.pnnl.gov/crabee) cabled array has multiple connections for power and data for instrumentation or prototype-scale marine energy devices. MCRL has a fleet of research vessels (https://www.pnnl.gov/research-vessels-pnnl-sequim) and a scientific dive team (https://www.pnnl.gov/scientific-diving-pnnl-sequim) to support marine operations.

2 Facility Capabilities

Tidal Test Site
Wave Test Site

Contact

Nichole Sather

nichole.sather@pnnl.gov

1529 W Sequim Bay Rd, Sequim, WA

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