U.S. Department of Energy Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC)

Team Name: The Webbies

Webb Institute, Glen Cove, New York

Team deliverables

Vision and mission: Why this competition?

Our team is participating in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition this year to get the experience and opportunity to delve into the field of marine energy. This competition provides for more direct resources in this exciting field and the chance to interact with students from other institutions. We are excited to both step into the student research community and meet with other research teams. This competition not only provides these opportunities, but also aligns with our passion for creating a sustainable future.

The Webbies team is comprised of students who are all passionate about and dedicated to educating themselves on the issues that face the marine energy sector. In light of the global climate emergency, now is a critical time for exploring and harnessing the energy potential of the ocean. As students majoring in the maritime field, we are uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge.

Background

Our team is developing and analyzing the feasibility of an oscillating water column wave energy converter. Ultimately, we’re exploring how this design could be integrated into developing or remote communities as a renewable, convenient, and lasting energy option. In addition to serving as an energy source, the wave energy converter may also be used in conjunction with a desalination plant to provide coastal communities with safe, accessible fresh water.

It is the team’s first time competing, so our objective is to lay groundwork for future Webbies who want to enter this competition. We want to develop a sense for how to function as a successful team and pass on this knowledge to future students. In addition, we also hope to expose our team to researchers in the maritime field and students at other institutions.

Strategy

The scope of this competition includes the design, business, and community engagement aspects related to the use and integration of our oscillating water column wave energy converter. To create a quality report that fully integrates each aspect, our team will split the responsibilities of the design as well as seek the professional advice of industry mentors and professors. The design leads will be responsible for the engineering analysis while the remaining team members will conduct the community engagement element of the competition and the market analysis.

Our team consists of seven students who easily socialize, interact, and discuss ideas with each other. Additionally, over half of the team members have done at least three internships in the maritime field already. The work that we have done ranges from marine engineering and project engineering to business development and financial analysis. Lastly, we have access to a number of facilities, such as a testing basin, that will aid in the team’s efforts.

There is only one major studied at Webb Institute, so we are lacking the resources available to schools with more diverse academic offerings. Specifically, we’re lacking expertise of students majoring in business, economics, or marketing. The limited number of students (approximately 100) admitted to Webb Institute adds on to the obstacle of gaining a more diverse team. We plan on using Webb’s extensive alumni network to reach a number of professionals who are well equipped to assist in the areas we have lack experience.

Additional information

Thanks to the close-knit nature of Webb, students with a passion for renewable energy were easy to identify. Most of our team members are part of the Green Club. During the outreach process, we made sure the make-up of our team had room to support diversity.

Our team has had the privilege of working with members of the maritime industry through Webb professors, alumni network, and other industry professionals. Our network has provided insight into design, engineering, and project management.

The Webbies are a new team this year. The competition crossed our paths through a search for research opportunities in the marine field. We believed that it was a great way to blend a student research opportunity with a topic that we are passionate about.

Social media accounts

Facebook: @webbmecc

Instagram: @webbmecc

LinkedIn: Webb Institute MECC

Team photo

The 2022 Webb Institute Team

This portal is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) under Contract Number DE- AC36-08GO28308 with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Contract Number DE-AC05-76RL01830 with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Contract Number DE-NA0003525 with Sandia National Laboratories, as part of the MHK Data Communities project. The United States Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

MECC 2022 Webb Institute