AHERC readies mooring to support ORPC’s RivGen

 
Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center (AHERC) researchers are preparing to deploy hydrokinetic mooring to conduct measurements in support of ORPC’s RivGen Power System.

The mooring will be deployed in the Kvichak River to monitor water column ice and velocity over the next 6 months, AHERC informed.

The real time monitoring system was designed by AHERC researchers Nick Konefal and Paul Duvoy to conduct measurements in support of Ocean Power Renewable Company’s (ORPC) efforts to deploy RivGen system in the Kvichak River in Igiugig, Alaska, year round.

To remind, ORPC demonstrated its RivGen Power System in the Kvichak River at Igiugig in 2014 and 2015.

The RivGen Power System is a 25 kW self-deploying submersible hydrokinetic system designed to reduce and stabilize the cost of power in remote communities located near rivers and tidal estuaries that currently use diesel fuel for power generation.

In March 2016, the US Department of Energy awarded over $1.5 million to the Alaskan village of Igiugig to further advance the design and operation of ORPC’s marine hydrokinetic technology for rivers.

AHERC is part of Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP), based at the University of Alaska.