The Water Power Technology Office (WPTO) has identified a need for waterway debris remediation powered by marine energy. It is estimated that approximately 8,000,000 tons of plastic waste enter the ocean from U.S. rivers every year. Furthermore, there is currently one ton of plastic in the sea for every three tons of fish and by 2050 it is projected to be one for one. Once waterborne, plastic breaks down into smaller pieces that are ingested by marine organisms adding toxins to this important food source. This trash needs to be intercepted in rivers before entering the ocean, while the debris is still relatively intact and concentrated. LPS has conceived a unique and widely applicable technical approach to catch this plastic debris and extract it before it enters the oceans. The system, named HydroCatchTM, can be applied to highly navigated, slow-moving waterways, which describes the majority of the rivers that input the most plastic debris into Earths oceans. The system can be rapidly transported to the site and deployed, will allow unimpeded surface navigation, has a useable life of at least 20 years, can be prosecuted on a commercially viable basis, uses a current energy converter well suited to low velocity currents, and scales to handle small and large waterways alike. For $200,000 and twelve months, LPS propose to partner with the City of Wilmington DE to prove the feasibility of the HydroCatch system through site characterization for energy potential and debris flow, design, analysis, testing, and strategic analysis of the most promising routes to commercialization. Success through Phase III will deliver a system that can materially abate the flow of plastic debris into the oceans thereby reducing its toxic effect on pelagic food sources, protecting human health in coastal communities, and maintain safe ocean recreation. It is intended to work alongside existing community efforts for watershed cleanup in a way that assists with building and strengthening a sense of community. Furthermore, success in this project will provide specific site characterization data and performance test data in an important velocity regime that will strengthen the body of scientific and engineering knowledge, enabling industry to develop new technologies and advance existing ones, with a view to increase U.S. energy security and resilience.
