Fiber optic cables, it turns out, can be incredibly useful scientific sensors. Researchers have studied them for use in carbon sequestration, groundwater mapping, earthquake detection, and monitoring of Arctic permafrost thaw. Now they have been awarded new grants to develop fiber optics for two novel uses: monitoring offshore wind operations and underground natural gas storage.
«A fiber cable has a glass core that allows you to send an optical signal down at the speed of light; when there is any vibration, strains, or stresses or changes in temperature of the material that is being monitored, that information will be carried in the light signal that is scattered back,» said Berkeley Lab scientist Yuxin Wu, who is leading both projects.
The California Energy Commission has awarded Berkeley Lab $2 million for the offshore wind project and $1.5 million for the natural gas project. Both projects are in collaboration with UC Berkeley, and for the natural gas project, Berkeley Lab will also collaborate with PG&E, Schlumberger, and C-FER Technologies (a Canadian company), to carry out the tests.
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Europe is at the forefront of offshore wind development. Other parts of the world are only in the early stages of commercialization, but it is growing quickly, including in the U.S., where the Department of Energy (DOE) has been supporting development of the technology. Offshore wind resources in the U.S. are abundant and have the potential to provide nearly double the total amount of electricity currently generated in the U.S., according to a 2016 DOE report.
One of the advantages of offshore wind for the U.S. is that the resource is close to dense coastal populations. Therefore, energy transmission is a lesser challenge compared to other renewable energy sources such as onshore wind and solar farms, which are typically located farther away from population centers due to the availability and cost of real estate.
Story Source: Materials provided by DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.