© Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.
Semi-Annual Newsletter
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ALOHA!
Makai has had a productive start to 2019 with several new contracts and a new West Coast Office:
A physical office in Ventura California was opened after having won multiple OMAC task orders. The office will provide the necessary working, warehouse, and meeting spaces for our growing West Coast team. The future of Makai’s west coast U.S. operations is looking bright.
Upgrades to MakaiPlan include new software-driven automated tools to improve reliability of submarine cable route engineering and installation steps, improving efficiency and quality of the route engineering process.
Makai’s team is working to bring the TFHX TM heat exchanger into the commercial market. Completion of a USAF SBIR Phase I was followed up with award for a US Army SBIR Phase I and a local grant award from Hawaii Technology Development Center.
Makai recently won a follow-on Navy Phase II award and four Phase I SBIR/STTR awards. The Phase I awards include two Navy SBIRs, an Army SBIR, and a DARPA STTR where we are partnered with University of Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI).
Makai continues work on the second phase of an OTEC and SWAC feasibility project in Puerto Rico aimed at developing an economically viable renewable energy and research center.
Makai’s work developing innovative offshore macroalgae systems and the ecosystem models for DoE ARPA-E MARINER program continues.
Makai will be at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo in Boston, MA in June, and the ARPA-E Innovation Summit in Denver, CO in July. If you are at either event, please stop by our booths to say hi!
Be sure to keep an eye on our employment web page for future job opportunities.
We hope you enjoy!
With Aloha,
The MOE Team |
| www.makai.com |
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Makai Automated Software Tools to Improve Submarine Cable Reliability
MakaiPlan Pro’s 3D visualization shows the 3D bathymetry, cable route, ship path, and cable during deployment.
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In a joint effort with Facebook’s submarine cable group, Makai identified two areas where new automated tools can assist human operators on some of the repetitive tasks and can significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of these steps. First is an “Automatic Rule Checker” for assisting the planners during the route engineering process and second is an “Auto-Position Tool” for assisting the installers during the cable installation.
For more details on these new features, check out our full press release. |
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Makai Awarded Second Phase of Puerto Rico OTEC & SWAC Project
The image above shows temperature difference between surface and 1000m deep seawater. The darker red and orange colors show locations that would benefit most from OTEC.
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Makai has recently been awarded a Phase II contract to complete a feasibility study and conceptual design in support of the Puerto Rico Ocean Technology Industrial Park (PROTech) spearheaded by the Puerto Rico Economic Development & Commerce Department (DDEC). The project’s goal is to build an industrial park, where businesses take advantage of the cold and nutrient rich deep seawater required for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and Seawater Air Conditioning (SWAC).
Makai’s role in this project is to conduct a feasibility study and develop the conceptual design for the seawater supply, OTEC, and SWAC systems. Makai’s feasibility study will use Makai’s SWAC and OTEC models to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the systems for the specified location.
Technologies such as OTEC and SWAC have great potential to boost Puerto Rico’s energy independency. |
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Heat Exchanger Grant and Commercial Prototype
Makai’s TFHXTM is shown to be up to 6x more compact than state-of-the-art heat exchangers depending on the application.
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Makai has recently been awarded the Manufacturing Assistance Grant from the State of Hawaii, Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) to advance its heat exchanger technology developed through grants from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in partnership with University of Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (UH-HNEI). The funding will support additional testing needed to bring the technology to the commercial market.
We would like to give a big Mahalo to HTDC for their continued support of Makai’s projects. Their support allows Makai’s engineers to continue to create innovative solutions to meet federal and commercial needs.
Makai is currently working on building a commercial prototype of its TFHXTM heat exchanger to be installed in an algae facility at the Hawaii Ocean Science & Technology (HOST) Park by NELHA and has been awarded an SBIR Phase I for the US Army. The installation in a commercial facility will allow Makai to validate the long term reliability of the TFHXTM.
Makai will be at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo in Boston, MA on June 17-19 to showcase the TFHXTM, in addition to some of our other technologies. Stop by our booth to say hi! |
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Makai Wins Phase II SBIR for Towed Array Straightening and Depth Control R&D
Makai’s system has been developed for twin-line arrays, but is expected to benefit single and other multi-line arrays with some modifications.
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| Makai won a Phase II SBIR contract for the development systems to improve reliability of towed array by controlling straightness, depth, and line separation of a twin-line towed array. During the Phase I effort, Makai proved the concept’s feasibility by building and testing a prototype. Over the coming year, Makai will build and test a full scale prototype to determine the system’s effectiveness at full scale. The hardware being developed is also expected to benefit towed arrays used for commercial applications such as oil exploration and ocean research. |
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Makai Recently Won 4 SBIR/STTR Awards
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Makai has been awarded several Phase I STTR and SBIR contracts. The work includes developing methods of capturing methane at the seafloor, and converting it to usable electricity. Makai has partnered with the University of Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) on this project. HNEI’s experience in methane reforming and fuel cell technologies, will be leveraged through this Phase I to develop the basic system concepts and feasibility to produce electricity. This project will allow Makai to further expand our renewable ocean energy and subsea infrastructure portfolios.
Makai has also been awarded a Navy Phase I SBIR contract to develop methods of mooring buoys with fiber optic cables and a Navy Phase I SBIR for alternative towed array straightening systems. Makai’s experience modeling subsea cables will be leveraged to develop a robust solution for these systems.
Makai was recently awarded an Army Phase I SBIR for the development of ultra-compact heat exchangers for air-liquid coolant applications. |
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ARPA-E Biofuel Production from Macroalgae
Makai’s harvester concept is able to separate the algae from the array lines, package the harvested algae for transportation, and re-seed the array lines in a single pass.
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Makai recently completed Phase I of the DoE ARPA-E MARINER program, with the goal of developing technologies for large scale macroalgae (seaweed) cultivation within the US EEZ. Makai’s work included prototype design and testing of seedline installation and small nutrient upwelling systems, and the physical-environmental modeling of farm performance under realistic ocean conditions.
Makai will be showcasing the work done for this project at the ARPA-E Innovation Summit in Denver, CO on July 8-10. Come stop by our booth to say hi and learn more about this project. |
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Employee Spotlight:
Michael Harrison
Sr. Program Manager & Sr. Ocean Engineer
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Michael joined Makai at the beginning of 2019 as a Senior Program Manager and Senior Ocean Engineer specializing in cable system designs and deployments. Michael attended the University of Windsor, where he received his Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Civil Engineering. In addition, Michael received his Master of Business Administration degree from California Lutheran University.
Michael’s role is to capture and direct many of MAKAI’s large design and installation task orders for the US Navy’s Oceans Multiple Award Contract (OMAC) and other commercial customers. Michael is an offshore construction expert specializing in cable system designs and deployments. He has over 30 years ocean engineering experience in design and installation of ocean engineering systems, marine cable installations and engineering studies and analysis.
When Michael is not out on a work vessel, working with contractors, or supporting Makai’s OMAC proposals, he enjoys travelling, ice hockey, skiing, golf, and many other outdoor activities. |
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What are you working on?
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If you have a project related to the ocean, we can probably help.
We are nimble, creative, cost-effective, and most importantly, our designs last.
We'd love to discuss your project that might involve:
Subsea Pipe / Cable Systems
- Pipeline designs
- Cable designs
- Micro fiber optic cable systems
- Cable planning and installation software and services
- Survey support
Energy Systems
- Cooling water intake and screen designs
- Heat exchangers
- Bottoming cycle power plant designs
- Energy storage designs
- Offshore wind / wave / tidal engineering
- District cooling designs
- Engineering & economic modeling
Marine Vehicles & Buoys
- Underwater vehicle design
- Sonobuoy component design
- Submarine Launch, Recovery, Transport vehicles
- Naval architecture
General Engineering Support
- Corrosion R&D and testing
- Materials Testing
- Environmental consulting
- Physics-based modeling
- Software development
- GIS software and services
- Value engineering
Please call or email us today for a free consultation about your project. |
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Aloha!
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© 2018 Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.
41-305 Kalanianaole Hwy, Waimanalo, Hawaii 96795 USA
www.makai.com |
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