In early 2021 I worked with a team to submit an entry to the U.S. Department of Energy Ocean Observing Prize. This design is a mobile wave energy converter and autonomous underwater vehicle that will expand ocean observing capabilities. This system was dubbed the Hālona. Our team submission was selected as one of 7 winning submissions to move on to the next phase. This will enable our team to build a prototype and test the system at the maneuvering and seakeeping (MASK) basin, a naval wave tank facility in Carderock, Maryland.
The Hālona system is a mobile wave energy conversion (WEC) platform that targets globally abundant wind waves to provide power to oceanographic sensors and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) for scientific survey missions. The system comprises of the WEC itself, an AUV equipped with sensor payloads and a docking station which provides wireless power and data transfer. The Hālona functions as a drifting charging platform with thrusted motion control to improve spatial and temporal resolution along with satellite and GPS connections providing enhanced localization and ground control capabilities.
Images & Text © 2021 by Jonathan Wallen
Jonathan S. Wallen 