BLUE Aims to Capture, Convert Ocean Energy with Low Environmental Impact
February 26, 2024 | DARPAEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
A new DARPA program is exploring the potential for dissolved organic matter, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and even microplastics to continually refuel, and thus extend the mission life, of ocean-deployed sensors. The BioLogical Underwater Energy, or BLUE, program seeks to solve the energy problem with low environmental impact using these abundant and energy-dense forms of marine biomass and other substances.
Ocean-deployed sensor systems including seabed-mounted profiling systems – devices that can measuring water temperature, salinity, and flow patterns -- hold great potential for national security, understanding dynamics of marine environments, and monitoring marine climate change. Owing to convenience and reliability, the vast majority of these systems are powered by batteries. Space constraints and finite energy densities of batteries, however, limit the amount of energy these systems can carry on board. As such, these systems must be serviced to recharge or replace depleted batteries, which is expensive, logistically demanding, and places personnel and platforms at risk. While endurance can be extended by reducing power consumption, active high duty cycle sensors, data processing, and communications require significant electrical power, and compromising on any one of these capabilities diminishes operational value.
If the 30-month BLUE program is successful, DARPA will demonstrate a novel, persistent, sustainable, low-environmental impact power supply that provides ultralong endurance and high payload capacity to remote, ocean-deployed sensor systems.
“It is our hypothesis that the energy requirements of many ocean-deployed systems can be met by development of an onboard device that converts marine biomass into simple fuels and then converts those fuels into operational power,” said Dr. Leonard Tender, BLUE program manager.
Performers will initially focus on characterization of microscopic marine biomass that can be utilized to generate electrical power, identification of key environmental features needed to best meet program goals, and leveraging biology to develop the process for conversion of the input materials to electrical power. Teams will also develop strategies for the capture and mass transport of biomass through conversion to enable up to one year of continuous power generation. The final step involves completion of a comprehensive ecological and environmental impact analysis to ensure system safety.
BLUE performers will engage with U.S. government and defense stakeholders, as well as appropriate regulatory authorities, to ensure safety and efficacy. Teams will be required to meet with ethical, legal, and societal implications experts and ensure the research addresses any related concerns. In the first three months of the program, performers will be working with an independent verification and validation team to conduct environmental assessment of biomass consumption.
“Achieving battery-level power persistently and while fully submerged would be a game changer,” added Tender.
A Broad Agency Announcement solicitation with all program details and instructions for submitting proposals is available on SAM.gov.
Suggested Items
ZESTRON Academy Launches 2024 Advanced Packaging & Power Electronics Webinar Series
05/01/2024 | ZESTRONZESTRON, the leading global provider of high-precision cleaning products, services, and training solutions in the electronics manufacturing and semiconductor industries, proudly announces the launch of its highly anticipated webinar series on Advanced Packaging & Power Electronics, a webinar series on the latest innovations, cleaning, and corrosion challenges.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Pb-Free Solder for Die-Attach in Discrete Power Applications
04/30/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Product Manager – Semiconductor Dean Payne will present at the Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics conference, hosted by IMAPS, held May 8-9 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA.
TSMC Certifies Ansys Multiphysics Platforms, Enabling Next-Gen AI and HPC Chips
04/30/2024 | PRNewswireAnsys announced the certification of its power integrity platforms for TSMC's N2 technology full production release. Both Ansys RedHawk-SC and Ansys Totem are certified for power integrity signoff on the N2 process, delivering significant speed and power advantages for high performance computing, mobile chips, and 3D-IC designs.
TSMC Celebrates 30th North America Technology Symposium
04/29/2024 | TSMCTSMC unveiled its newest semiconductor process, advanced packaging, and 3D IC technologies for powering the next generation of AI innovations with silicon leadership at the Company’s 2024 North America Technology Symposium.
Guerrilla RF Completes Strategic Acquisition of GaN Device Portfolio from Gallium Semiconductor
04/29/2024 | BUSINESS WIREGuerrilla RF, Inc. has finalized the acquisition of Gallium Semiconductor's entire portfolio of GaN power amplifiers and front-end modules. Effective April 26th, 2024, GUER acquired all previously released components as well as new cores under development at Gallium Semiconductor.