Open Water Support

Test Plan/Post Access Report (Select One)

Project Name

Awardee: Name

Awardee point of contact: Name

Facility: Name

Facility point of contact: Name

Date: ##

Executive Summary

Briefly present the project’s overall objective(s) as defined in the Request Technical Support (RFTS) application. Then, provide a high level description of the methods that were used to work towards the objective and describe the project results. The results may be presented in the form of a graphical plot(s) that comprehensively describe the results. In addition, narrative text should describe the results and their importance in a clear and concise manner, with an emphasis on the key findings. Finally, this section should clearly describe if the objectives of the project were met, discuss the impact of the results, discuss lessons learned, and identify next steps that would build off the completed work.

1 Introduction to the project

Provide a high-level overview of the project, the objectives, and a description of the work to be performed/that was performed through TEAMER. This should largely be adapted from the TEAMER RFTS application.

2 Roles and Responsibilities of Project Participants

List all relevant roles and responsibilities. Identify roles and responsibilities for the applicant and network facility.

2.1 Applicant Responsibilities and Tasks Performed

2.2 Network Facility Responsibilities and Tasks Performed

3 Project Objectives

• Briefly describe the research project’s overall objective(s) as defined in the Request for Technical Support (RFTS) application and why the objective(s) is important to the project recipient.
• Briefly describe the important physical attributes that the project will investigate/investigated.
• Briefly state any specific performance metrics that the project is targeting/targeted. For example:
  • LCOE or similar economic metric
  • Power to weight ratio
  • % Improvement or reduction
  • Peak to average power ratio
  • Cycles to failure

4 Test Facility, Equipment, Software, and Technical Expertise

Describe the relevant capabilities of the facility that will be/were used to achieve the objectives of the project. Include the following facility information:

• Physical equipment, hardware, instrumentation and other capabilities essential to achieving project objectives
• Simulation or data analysis software utilized
• Critical personnel expertise utilized to achieve the project objectives
• Ocean test site conditions and equipment need to accomplish the testing
  

5 Test or Analysis Article Description

This section should describe the technology and its working principles. Depending on the type and function of the technology, the description should include the following information:

• The intended purpose for the device, subsystem, component, instrument, or equipment
• How will the test advance/has advanced one of the following marine energy technologies:
  • Current energy converters
  • Wave energy converters
  • Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion systems
• Descriptions should include diagrams, tables, and images that define the device geometry, mass properties, material properties mechanical function, and electrical and control properties
• Any other technology characteristics that are/were relevant to the test, or analysis, of the article should also be presented.

6 Work Plan

This section should provide a high level description of the research methods. Regardless of the type of support being provided, this section should include sufficient detail, within reason, to allow the methods to be duplicated and for all results to be understood and interpreted.

6.1 Experimental Setup, Data Acquisition System, and Instrumentation (For Experimental Projects Only, Numerical Projects Please Delete this Section)

Provide a comprehensive description of the experimental setup, including schematics or pictures if available. Include a description of data processing that will be performed during the experiments to help ensure the accuracy of the results. Please including the following information in appendices, as appropriate:

• A description of the data acquisition system and its capabilities. Explain why it meets the needs of the project. Provide a list of the measurement channels indicating the physical quantity being measured and the engineering units, the type of measurement, (analog, digital or other), the data rate, the range of measurement, any scaling of the output and the conversion relationship to engineering units.
• Provide a list of all the sensors and corresponding measurements in a table. The list should include the sensor type, range, accuracy, and indicate the calibration date and method, as appropriate.

6.2 Numerical Model Description

(Only Required if Numerical Analysis Work is Being Performed, Note that Experimental Projects May Have Some Numerical Modeling

Provide a comprehensive description of the numerical model or simulation tool that will be used/was used.

• Identify the simulation tool and provide details on the numerical methods. In addition, any work that will be performed to verify and validate the numerical method should be provided (e.g. mesh and time step studies, ensuring appropriate boundary conditions)
• Provide a discussion of previous studies that have verified the accuracy and validity of the numerical model (e.g. mesh and time step convergence studies, previous validation against experimental results). The applicant and facility should develop the test plan to ensure validity and accuracy of the computational results.

6.3 Test and Analysis Matrix and Schedule

A test or analysis matrix identifying all tests or simulations that will be performed and a corresponding schedule should be presented in this section.

6.4 Safety

A review of relevant safety procedures and protocols that will be followed during the project should be provided. The following are not requirements. They is just additional guidance that can be followed as relevant when writing the Test Plan.

Lab/Bench and Tank/Basin/Tunnel/Flume:

Consider providing a review of relevant safety procedures and protocols that will be followed during the project. For Lab, Bench, Tank, Flume, Tunnel or Basin Testing this could include but is not limited to:

• Listing specific facility safety policies and procedures titles that are relevant to your technical support activity.
• If applicable, discussing safety training that will be received through an induction process once on-site.
• Discussing how safety procedures will be implemented and monitored throughout the technical support activity.

Open Water:

Consider providing a review of relevant safety procedures and protocols that will be followed during the project. For Open Water, this could include but is not limited to:

• Listing specific facility safety policies and procedures that are relevant to your technical support activity.
• If applicable, discussing safety training that TSR will receive through an induction process once on-site.
• Discussing how safety procedures will be implemented and monitored throughout the technical support activity.
  Mention of a Risk Assessment highlighting high-risk works and outlining mitigating procedures prior to the start of the technical support activity.

6.5 Contingency Plans

Describe any project contingency plans and the conditions under which they may need to be executed.

6.6 Data Management, Processing, and Analysis

6.6.1 Data Management

Description on the location of the data storage, for the raw and processed data, data structure and metadata.

• A table identifying what data will be submitted to the MHK DR and the format in which the data will be submitted.
• See Section 7.3 of this document for more information on data submission requirements

6.6.2 Data Processing

Describe the data-processing methods that will be used during the project

• Discuss any data processing that will be performed during testing to help identify any errors that can be corrected during testing

• Describe data quality assurance and quality control procedures

• A discussion of how uncertainty in measurements will be quantified should be included

6.6.3 Data Analysis

Describe how the data collected – whether experimental or from simulations – will be/were manipulated to develop the graphical plots, computed variables, or performance metrics presented in the results. This section should include the following information:

• Description, diagrams, and other information on data scaling
• Description of statistical processing of results, including any sensitivity analysis performed
• Description and rationale for any data sets and test that were eliminated from the results

Description of data quality assurance procedures and uncertainty analyses (e.g., Protocols for Equitable Assessment of Marine Energy Converters)

Description of any standards or guidance that was used to perform testing or analysis

Two notes on section 6.6.3:

• For the Test Plan – the intent of this section is to ensure that the data being gathered is sufficient to perform the needed analysis
• For the Post Access Report this section should be updated to reflect the analysis actually performed. For the Post Access Report, this section could be moved to the Results (Section 7.1), if desired.

7 Project Outcomes (Required for Post Access Report Only)

7.1 Results

Clear and concise results should be presented in this section. The following guidelines for reporting results should be adapted to best suit each project:

• Graphical presentation of results is encouraged, where possible. Pictures and block diagrams illustrating processes should be used wherever this would provide greater clarity in the methods
• A tabular overview presentation of results is recommended for situations involving a series of results for varying physical/numerical conditions.
• Each figure and table should be accompanied by a concise descriptive narrative explaining the results and conclusions that are drawn
• Verification and validation results should be provided, if applicable

Per the award agreement, Technical Support Recipient (TSR) must:

• At a minimum, TSR will upload to the MHKDR the quantitative data underlying “figures” (including, but not limited to, all charts, graphs, and tables) contained in the TSR’s final report. This data must be formatted in a way that makes it clear how to reproduce each figure from the published data and, in the case of relatively complicated figures, the submission should include any required scripts or narrative to achieve that objective. Please submit data to MHKDR using the TEAMER data submission link with the following pre-populated fields:
• a. DOE Project Title: Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research
• b. DOE Project Number: EE0008895
• c. DOE Project Lead: Lauren Ruedy
• All Post Access Reports will be reviewed and approved by the TEAMER Facility and the TEAMER Technical Board prior to acceptance. Artificially limiting the number of figures in the final report to avoid providing underlying data will be considered non-compliance with final reporting requirements.

7.2 Lesson Learned and Test Plan Deviation

Describe any lessons learned during the execution of the project that would improve the execution of future projects under the TEAMER program. The lessons learned could involve any aspect of the project execution. For example, the lessons could involve any of the following areas:

• Project planning
• Numerical procedures
• Testing procedures
• Instrumentation
• Sensors
• Data processing and storage
• Data quality
• Uncertainty quantification and propagation
• Safety procedures and protocols
• General efficiency and time management
• Any other lessons that could improve the performance of follow on projects

Describe deviations from the approved test plan, why these occurred, how they were addressed, and how they could be avoided in similar, future work.

8 Conclusions and Recommendations

Describe the major conclusion that your team has drawn from the results presented and any recommendations for follow on work in this area of research. A discussion of whether project goals and metrics were achieved should be included.

9 References

Include any literature or standards cited in the report.

10 Acknowledgements

Include any acknowledgements of key personnel who contributed to the success of the project, but are not authors of the report.

11 Appendix

Detailed data and descriptions that need to be included for context, but that are not appropriate for the body of the report, should be included as appendices.