A key element of the conference includes presentations of abstracts submitted by researchers for review to the PAMEC Science & Technical Committee. Topics and themes that have emerged this year include Socio-economics, Environmental Effects, Resource characterization, Offshore Wind, Grid Integration, Instream & Tidal, Wave, Salinity Gradient, and OTEC. Plenary sessions will focus on both International & Regional updates on policies and research needs and a roundtable on social acceptance and stakeholder engagement.
Friday 19 Jan 2024
08:30 – 09:00 Shuttle to UniNorte
No workshops in this session.
09:00 – 13:00 WEC-SIM (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator) Workshop
The shuttle will leave the Dann Carlton Hotel at 8:30 for the Universidad del Norte.
WEC-SIM (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator)
Dr. Jorge Leon-Quiroga
WEC-Sim (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator) is an open-source software for simulating wave energy converters (WECs), jointly developed by Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States. WEC-Sim is developed in the MATLAB/SIMULINK framework utilizing Simscape Multibody to solve the multi-body dynamics problem. WEC-Sim predicts WEC dynamics through time domain simulations based on the radiation and diffraction method using hydrodynamic coefficients obtained from frequency-domain boundary element methods (BEM: e.g., WAMIT, NEMOH, Aqwa, Capytaine). WEC-Sim is developed for the purpose of predicting, analyzing, and optimizing WEC dynamics and power performance. WEC-Sim includes prebuilt drag and drop Simulink blocks that have been developed to simulate a wide range of WEC systems consisting of multiple bodies, oscillating water columns, joints, various power take-off systems, and mooring systems. The first release of WEC-Sim was late 2014 and through continued development has become a well-established software within the marine energy community.
The WEC-Sim development team will host a workshop about WEC-Sim capabilities and applications. The workshop will have two sessions: The first session is aimed for new and existing users of WEC-Sim to learn the basic purpose, use-cases, structure, and theory of WEC-Sim. In the second session, the attendees will learn about the advanced capabilities of WEC-Sim. Advanced features include nonlinear excitation forces, passive yaw, large horizontal displacements, integration with MoorDyn, PTO-Sim, generalized body modes, multiple conditions runs, and visualization capabilities.
Workshop Agenda
| Session | Duration (min) | Topic | Description |
| WEC-Sim Theory and Basics | 0:20 | WEC-Sim Overview | Overview of course topics and WEC-Sim code |
| 0:15 | Theory | Linear potential flow theory, Cummins’ equation, equations of motion. Assumptions | |
| 0:30 | Workflow | Inputs to and running WEC-Sim (CAD->Meshing->BEM->BEMIO->WEC-Sim) |
|
| 0:10 | Break + Q&A | ||
| 0:15 | Code Structure | Overview of WEC-Sim’s input file (wecSimInputFile.m), classes (*.m) and library blocks (*.slx) | |
| WEC-Sim Deep Dive | 0:20 | Wave Class | Describe how waves are modeled in WEC-Sim using waveClass.m and variant subsystems |
| 0:10 | Break + Q&A | ||
| 0:20 | Body Class | Describe how bodies are modeled in WEC-Sim using bodyClass.m and variant subsystems | |
| 0:30 | RM3 Example | Run BEMIO, build RM3, write the wecSimInputFile, and run WEC-Sim, userDefinedFunctions. Break intentionally and highlight errors/debugging | |
| 0:10 | Break + Q&A | ||
| WEC-Sim Applications and Developments | 1:00 | Applications and Software Development | WEC-Sim Applications (free decay, PTO-Sim, MCR, controls, TEAMER) |
| Adjourn | 0:00 | Adjourn | |
| Total time | 4:00 | ||
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
No workshops in this session.
14:00 – 17:00 Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Workshop
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)
Dr. Andrea E. Copping
OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion) is has the potential to provide baseload power to the grid by generating energy from the thermal differential from warm tropical surface waters and cold deep ocean water. OTEC technology is well understood but plants have not been deployed due to the high capital costs for onshore or floating offshore plants. With renewed concerns about climate change including sea level rise and ocean acidification, as well as OTEC’s potential to produce desalinated water, provide sea water air conditioning (SWAC), and other added value uses, many nations are taking a strong look at developing OTEC for carbon mitigation.
This workshop will review the existing OTEC technologies, discuss the potential environmental effects of this type of power generation, and examine potential additional uses of OTEC beyond power production.
Join us to learn more about OTEC, to contribute your knowledge on the feasibility and value of OTEC, and to meet some of the practitioners working towards commercial scale OTEC.
17:15 – 17:45 Shuttle to Dann Carlton Hotel
No workshops in this session.
Saturday 20 Jan 2024
08:30 – 09:00 Shuttle to UniNorte
No workshops in this session.
09:00 – 11:00 Workshop on International Data Sharing for Marine Renewable Energy
International Data Sharing for Marine Renewable Energy
Dr. Andrea E. Copping
The PRIMRE team (Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy) from the US national laboratories will present background on the PRIMRE system with a focus on the value and feasibility of sharing data and information internationally. As research and development activities in marine renewable energy begin to become wide-spread around the world, there is a need to share information on the development, deployment, and challenges of generating power from ocean water. Several nations have developed comprehensive systems for storing, curating, and disseminating data on marine energy, including the U.S. and several European countries.
09:00 – 12:00 Workshop on Technologies and Policies to Support the Integration of Marine Renewables into a Grid
Technologies and Policies to Support the Integration of Marine Renewables into a Grid
Dr. Marcos Lafoz Pastor
Although ocean energy is a minor part of the energy matrix in most of the countries, their participation on the full scenario to provide flexibility and energy diversity is very promising, especially in some particular scenarios. Offshore wind, tidal and wave energies will be the ones mainly considered, with some room also for the analysis of energies based on thermal and saline gradients.
This workshop will present three different views of the integration of marine renewable energies in the power systems. Firstly, a technical view which will address: the technologies involved, the requirements for their installation, a description of the most important issues involved in the operation when connected to the electric grid and the main alternatives to compensate the negative effects. Several grid codes will be used as study cases to define the grid code compliance. Secondly, from a techno-economical perspective, the evaluation of marine energies will be faced, considering the connection with other types of energy, energy vectors or even industrial activities. The particular case of islanded grids is considered. Thirdly, the environmental impact of these energies, as well as social acceptance will be discussed.
The format of the workshop will be a round table with some specialists who will talk providing their particular point of view, basing the talks on particular case studies accomplished.
During the final part of the workshop, and as a proper workshop should be, the attendees will participate more actively, in collaboration with the speakers and working in groups, in order to generate a final document to sum up the main conclusions and proposed measures to enhance the definition of energy policies that favor the integration of marine renewable energies.
11:00 – 13:00 Career Panel for Marine Energy
Career Panel for Marine Energy
Arielle Cardinal
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
No workshops in this session.
14:00 – 17:00 Monitoring for Interactions Between Marine Animals and MRE Devices Workshop
Monitoring for Interactions Between Marine Animals and MRE Devices
Dr. Daniel J. Hasselman
Global expansion and regional growth of the marine renewable energy (MRE) sector is essential for addressing the effects of climate change, ensuring a sustainable transition towards renewable energy sources, and meeting national energy security needs using locally-generated electricity. However, sector growth is hampered by a variety of factors including difficulties obtaining regulatory approvals for MRE device installations due to uncertainty about environmental effects, including how marine animals (fish, marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles) interact with MRE devices (e.g., encounter, avoidance, evasion, collision). This workshop will provide an overview of commonly used monitoring tools and innovative approaches for understanding interactions between marine animals and MRE technologies. The workshop format will include presentations from leading global experts in environmental monitoring technologies and associated analytical approaches, and round-table discussions to foster dialogue about monitoring approaches that are relevant for the regional growth of the MRE sector. This session builds upon the second workshop held at PAMEC 2022 in Ensenada, Mexico, that focused on the value of MRE test centers where many of the monitoring approaches to be discussed have been developed and are commonly used.
17:15 – 17:45 Shuttle to Dann Carlton Hotel
No workshops in this session.
Sunday 21 Jan 2024
11:00 – 18:00 Conference Registration
Hotel Dann Carleton
13:00 – 16:00 Magdelena Riverboat Cruise
No workshops in this session.
17:30 – 19:30 Welcome Reception
The Welcome Reception will be held on the Rooftop Atalaya of the Hotel Dann Carlton Barranquilla and is open to all conference delegates, sponsors and guests invited by the PAMEC 2024 Organizing Committee.
Monday 22 Jan 2024
08:15 – 08:45 Shuttle to UniNorte
No workshops in this session.
09:00 – 09:30 Conference Opening and Welcome
The campus of the Universidad del Norte is the location of all conference proceedings. The Auditorium will be the location of events involving all delegates such as the Conference Opening and Plenary Sessions
09:30 – 10:30 Plenary Session: Regional Perspectives
This session will provide a Regional Perspective on opportunities and developments by presentations and discussions with representatives from multiple PAMEC member countries.
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break & Networking
No workshops in this session.
11:00 – 12:30 Tidal & In-Stream Energy Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Tidal & In-Stream Energy
Assessment of the FES2014c model for tidal currents on the shelves around the North Atlantic Ocean
Marianella Bolívar Carbonell
Comparison of a conventional propeller and a hybrid hydrokinetic current turbine using numerical modeling
Ruben Montoya Ramírez
Review of Dalhousie University’s Past and Current Projects on Numerical Modelling of Tidal Turbines and Load Characterization
Dominic Groulx
Effects of Recovery Rate on Variable Speed Direct-Driven Tidal Energy Desalination
Antonio Jarquín Laguna
Axial Flow Marine Turbine Rotor Spacing Influence on Power Performance: Simulating a 1:40 Scale Dual-Rotor Counter-Rotating Turbine (US Department of Energy Reference Model 1)
Javier Guzmán
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
No workshops in this session.
13:30 – 15:30 Cross-Cutting Renewable Energy Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Cross Cutting Renewable Energy
Development of an Innovative Floating Structure to Support Photovoltaic Panels
Marcelly de Almeida Teixeira
The role of test centres in supporting innovation and technology development
Naomi Wood
Co-locating wave energy and offshore aquaculture in Puerto Rico
Lysel Garavelli
Challenges for the integration of ocean energy in Ibero-American power systems
Marcos Lafoz
A Case Study for Marine Low-Head Pumped Hydro Storage in the Caribbean Region of Colombia
Justus Hoffstaedt
Hybrid marine eco-parks. Techno-economic analysis in potential Latin America markets
Emiliano Gorr Pozzi
Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE)
Hayley Farr
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break and Networking
No workshops in this session.
16:00 – 17:30 Socioeconomic Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Socioeconomic Effects of Renewable Energy
Assessing Social and Economic Effects of Marine Energy: Tools and Recommendations
Mikaela Freeman
Techno-economic Modeling of Marine Energy Systems with the System Advisor Model
Elena Baca
Assessment of ocean energy systems as a source of energy for a proposed aquaculture ecosystem in Guam.
Fleurdeliza de Peralta
Obstacles in the Path to New Clean Technologies: An Examination of Challenges for In-stream Tidal Energy Development in Canada’s Bay of Fundy
Craig Chandler
Developing a Marine Energy Workforce Pipeline
Arielle Cardinal
17:30 – 19:30 Poster Gallery Soiree
The Poster Gallery Soiree is a unique opportunity to network and have in-depth conversations with marine renewable energy researchers in an inspiring and informative cultural atmosphere.
Students, research organizations and test centres, academia, government and industry that are attending the conference are invited to participate by highlighting their research activities supported by a Poster Presentation. The posters will be available for viewing for the duration of the conference and be made available as part of the conference proceedings.
The Poster Gallery Soiree will be held from 5:30-7pm at the Museo Mapuka (Archaeological Museum of Karib Peoples) on the Uninorte Campus following the last session on Monday, January 22nd and is open to all registered conference attendees. Enjoy a refreshment and snack and be a part of creating new ideas, collaborations and friendships.
If you wish to participate, please send an email with the Title, Authors, and a few lines of description to abstracts@pamec.energy by December 1st 2023 and in this way we can display your poster to its greatest advantage and include it in the program.
PAMEC will provide printing and mounting of the posters free of charge. Posters are to be A0 format: 85 cm (width) x 119 cm (height) in vertical orientation and emailed in PDF format no later than January 10th, 2024.
Environmental DNA as a cost-efficient alternative method to fish monitoring in high-energy environments
Lenaïg Hemery
Study on capacitive flow electrodes used as energy conversion systems for scaled-up reverse electrodialysis devices
Mateo Arias González
20:00 – 20:30 Shuttle to Dann Carlton Hotel
No workshops in this session.
Tuesday 23 Jan 2024
08:15 – 08:45 Shuttle to UniNorte
No workshops in this session.
09:00 – 10:30 Plenary Session: International Perspectives
This session will provide a Global Perspective on opportunities and developments by presentations and discussions with representatives from our sister organizations EWTEC and ATEC and invited international guests.
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break & Networking
No workshops in this session.
11:00 – 12:30 Salinity Gradient Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Salinity Gradient
Construction of a feasibility index for Salinity Gradient Energy projects in the Colombian Caribbean region.
Tomás Garrido Balaguera
Salinity gradient energy in Colombia: an efficiency analysis
Daniel Rincón
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Marine Energy Desalination Research and Development Portfolio
Dale Jenne
Conceptual design of a salinity gradient energy demonstration unit at the Magdalena River mouth
Mateo Roldán Carvajal
Molecular simulation of a hydrated cation exchange membrane system used in reverse electrodialysis
María Susana Pérez Grisales
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
No workshops in this session.
13:30 – 15:00 OTEC Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Oceanographic characterization of areas of interest for a possible implementation of OTEC technology in Mexico
Alejandro García Huante
Feasibility of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Development for U.S. Islands
Andrea Copping
Design of an OTWEC-OC plant to produce desalinated water and electricity in Ensenada, B.C.
Leandro Balan
Resource Assessment of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, Tidal Stream, and Ocean Current for Powering Blue Economy Applications in Puerto Rico
Zhaoqing Yang
Development of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion in Barranquilla, Colombia
Diego Acevedo
13:30 – 15:00 Wave Energy Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Wave Energy
The power of wave energy converters arrays to mitigate coastal erosion
Yeison Berrío
Advanced Features and Recent Developments in the WEC-Sim Open-Source Design Tool
Jorge León Quiroga
Optimization of a wave energy park using a spectral wave model and a binary genetic algorithm.
Eduardo Santiago Ojeda
Experimental assessment of the effect of water depth on mooring line tensions for two different WEC mooring configurations under solitary waves
Álvaro Gallardo Rivera
Heterogeneous versus homogeneous arrays of wave energy converters
Ossama Abdelkhalik
15:30 – 16:45 Resource Characterization Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Resource Characterization
Aquatic Renewable Energy Potential in Colombia: A Preliminary Study
Ramón Colmenares Quintero
Potential of renewable energies from ocean resources in the Colombian Caribbean
Jorge Andrés Prada Mejía
From European waves to Pan-American shores: derisking, demonstrating, and educating to advance marine energy: Insights from European Projects
Peter Scheijgrond
Stream tidal energy assessment near the coast of Saboga Island, Panama: Data analysis.
Jose Rodriguez
Resource assessment, technology development, public policies, and deploying large-scale projects of marine and ocean energy in Colombia
Andrés Osorio
16:45 – 17:15 Shuttle to Dann Carlton Hotel
No workshops in this session.
18:30 – 22:00 Gala Dinner
Join us for an evening of great food, entertainment and socializing at the beautiful and historic Hotel El Prado.
Wednesday 24 Jan 2024
08:15 – 08:45 Shuttle to UniNorte
No workshops in this session.
09:00 – 11:00 Offshore Wind Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Offshore Wind
Evaluation of offshore wind energy diffusion in long-term scenarios in the Colombian Caribbean
Mateo Valencia Betancurt
Climate change might result in increased offshore wind farm accessibility in the North Atlantic
Victoria Bessonova
Storageless Ofshore Hybrid Power Plant
João Teixeira do Amaral
Realistic assessments of the Wind Energy Potential Based on In-situ and Reanalysis data
Franklin Arévalo Meza
Adapt-ORE: A Simulation Tool for Adaptive Operation and Maintenance of Offshore Renewable Energy Farms
Natalia Aziares Aguayo
Road map of the offshore wind development in Costa Rica: Challenges and Opportunities
Rodrigo Rojas
Offshore Wind Power in Mexican Seas
Héctor García Nava
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break & Networking
No workshops in this session.
11:30 – 12:45 Tidal & In-stream Energy Research Presentations (2)
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Tidal & In-stream Energy
Technical-economic assessment for the construction of tidal stream turbines in Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Álvaro José Salazar Benavidez
Prefeasibility design of a tidal barrage power plant in Tumaco, Colombia
Miler Iván Maya Maya
Can tidal power technologies be considered fully green?
Valery Franco Osorio
Alaska Field Testing of a BladeRunner Energy Hydrokinetic Turbine
Ben Loeffler
Modelling Velocity Profiles using the Law of the Wake for Tidal Currents and Winds
Richard Karsten
11:30 – 12:45 Wave Energy Research Presentations (2)
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Wave Energy
On the wave field as observed in the BTS (Todos Santos Bay, Ensenada, Mexico) Natural Laboratory
Francisco Ocampo Torres
The Neowave wave energy converter: Technical and financial approach
José Luis Montoya Posada
Wave height and power trends in Mexican Seas
Germán Barrera Martínez
The Design, Fabrication, and Test Program for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wave-Powered Desalination System
Dale Jenne
Hydrodynamic and CFD modeling of a tidal barrage power plant in Buenaventura, Colombia
Juan Gabriel Rueda Bayona
12:45 – 13:45 Lunch
No workshops in this session.
13:45 – 15:15 Environmental Effects Research Presentations
15-minute presentations including questions of research on the theme of Environmental Effects
Potential environmental effects of marine renewable energy in tropical and subtropical ecosystems
Lysel Garavelli
Improving Understanding of Environmental Effects from Single MRE Devices to Arrays
Daniel Hasselman
Investigating displacement of marine animals as a potential effect of marine renewable energy development
Lenaïg Hemery
Predicting the probability of encounter between fish species and tidal stream energy devices using acoustic telemetry
Charles Bangley
From Science to Consenting: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy
Mikaela Freeman
15:15 – 16:30 Closing Plenary Session
This session will summarize and highlight knowledge gained at the conference and discuss the research priorities, challenges and opportunities that still lie ahead to decarbonize the planet.
16:45 – 17:15 Shuttle to Dann Carlton Hotel
No workshops in this session.