Summer intern explores marine energy through fieldwork and 3D printing
November 14, 2024
ACEP summer intern Jack Schuster explains the workflow to create a 3D object from data.
Marine energy is a promising option for sustainable energy. It makes use of a consistent and plentiful resource, and, if designed appropriately, it can have minimal impacts on surrounding ecosystems. While marine energy is still largely in the research and development phase, the potential for its use in Alaska’s remote communities is immense.
ACEP summer intern Jack Schuster worked on projects with ACEP’s marine energy team. A senior this fall studying mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Schuster spent half of their internship doing fieldwork with Stephanie Fisher at the Tanana River Hydrokinetic Test Site, or TRTS, conducting general maintenance of the site. They also prepared for Submarine Hydrokinetic and Riverine Kilo-megawatt Systems testing with a technology start-up, BladeRunner Energy, in July. SHARKS is an ACEP marine energy project to design economically competitive hydrokinetic turbines for tidal and river currents. Real-world testing at the TRTS and resource assessments are critical steps to bringing marine energy to Alaskans as another sustainable energy option.
Working at the TRTS gave Schuster opportunities to observe data collection and troubleshooting during research and to gain problem-solving skills important for fieldwork.
The other half of Schuster’s internship focused on creating a 3D object from data with mentor Emily Alvarado. Schuster developed a process to turn a 3D elevation map of the TRTS created by Alvarado into a 3D printed tangible model for community outreach and education. They also taught a lesson on marine energy and the TRTS to a group of Teaching Through Technologies Alaska students.
Schuster tries to steer debris away from an acoustic doppler current profiler at the Tanana River Hydrokinetic Test Site.
Schuster found a great deal of satisfaction in hands-on work during their internship.
“There's so much that goes into developing any kind of new technology, especially anything energy and water related, and it was awesome to get the chance to see so many facets of the process,” they said.
Schuster also enjoyed developing a workflow to create an actual 3D object from data. They took on the challenge of developing a process almost from scratch because online information specific to their needs was scarce.
“It felt really great to figure out the whole process and to get what I’ve learned out there online to help other people make super cool 3D printed models,” they said.
This internship is funded by the National Science Foundation through ACEP’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. View the final presentation for this project on ACEP’s YouTube Channel. For more information on this project, please contact Emily Alvarado at eabrowning@alaska.edu or Stephanie Fisher at sjump@alaska.edu.