Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) researchers have deployed SWIFT buoys from a helicopter to assess the extremely stormy conditions in the Pacific ocean, off Oregon, USA.
The Surface Wave Instrument Float with Tracking (SWIFT) is a free drifting system to measure waves, winds, turbulence, and ambient noise at the ocean surface.
SWIFT buoys can be used in studies of breaking wave energy dissipation, wave-ice dynamics in the Arctic, and characterization at marine energy sites.
The deployments shown in the video are part of the research project ‘Resource Characterization for Extreme Conditions’, organized by NNMREC and funded by US Department of Energy, and its aim is to characterize the extreme stormy conditions that a wave energy device, or a wave power bouy, would need to be able to withstdand.
The outcomes of this project are expected to aid the design and survivability of wave energy devices.
NNMREC was established in 2008 by the US Department of Energy to facilitate the development of marine renewable energy technologies via research, education, and outreach. University partners include Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Washington (UW), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).