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UAF – Open Water Capabilities

Capabilities:

  • River, Tidal and Wave resource characterization
  • Hydrographic Surveys
    • ADCP surveys: acoustic Doppler current profiler stationary, transect or moored measurements (Teledyne RiverPro, Teledyne Workhorse Sentinel)
    • Turbulence estimation (Nortek Vector ADVs or ADCP-based)
    • Conductivity/Temperature/Pressure surveys
    • Multibeam and Single Bathymetry (Teledyne Reson 7125 Seabat, CIDCO HydroBall)
    • Side Scan Sonar (Edgetech 4125 600/1600 kHz)
    • Hazards evaluations such debris quantification, ice assessments, river/sea bed hazard identification
  • Wave measurements: ADCP or buoy-based (Teledyne Workhorse Sentinels, Vs or Nortek 1MHz AD2CP, Spotters, etc.)
  • Fisheries: the UAF Fisheries team monitors fish behavior and collision risk around turbines in a variety of habitats, using several methodologies.
  • Remote sensing analysis
    • Google Earth Engine
    • UAV Survey and Mapping (Sensefly Ebee X, DJI Phantom 3)
  • Community partnerships: Supporting local initiatives and incorporating TEK
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Description

UAF has active research programs and expertise in marine energy engineering, remote sensing, oceanography, fish behavior and aquatic animal collision risk. Technical Support recipients can access a variety of expertise and equipment for open water research, including current and wave resource assessments for ocean and river energy, technical studies to evaluate turbulent flows and their effects on device power output and longevity, environmental monitoring to understand fish and aquatic animal and debris interactions with hydrokinetic power generating devices. Remote sensing technology is available including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) data collection, cloud-based satellite data processing and analysis. Supporting local initiatives to develop renewable energy alternatives is fundamental to this program and can assist in establishing community partnerships that incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

Point of Contact:
Ben Loeffler – bhloeffler@alaska.edu

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