M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust Awards Grant to Alaska Center for Energy and Power to Support Hydrokinetic 鶹
The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust Engineering 鶹 Program has awarded a grant
to the Alaska Center for Energy and Power’s Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy 鶹 Center
(AHERC). The award facilitates hydrokinetic research through the purchase of a research
vessel, field instruments, and specialized equipment to determine the interactions
between hydrokinetic power generating devices (HKD), and river and tidal environments,
including fish stocks.
Alaska’s expansive coastline and extensive river systems make the potential for hydrokinetic
energy very exciting for many of Alaska’s rural communities because HKDs generate
electricity directly from the currents of rivers and tides. AHERC currently has several
ongoing research projects at locations including Yakutat and Nenana. The new equipment
will enhance AHERC’s current research capabilities for assessing the feasibility
of hydrokinetic power generating devices for Alaska’s many river and coastal communities.
“UAF is taking a leading role in conducting the research needed to understand how
HKDs are affected by currents, turbulence, debris, and sediment as well as turbine
effects on fish, erosion, and river and tidal currents and waves (for wave HKD devices),”
reported AHERC Associate Director, Jeremy Kasper.
Photo Caption: AHERC Team launches the in-river debris diversion device on the Tanana
River.
Photo courtesy of Todd Paris/UAF.