Exploring New Frontiers in Marine and Renewable Energy Innovation
Beyond our wave-powered desalination system, Water Bros is actively engaged in research, mentorship, and development across multiple innovative marine and renewable energy initiatives. Our team contributes technical expertise, commercial insight, and field testing to help advance cutting-edge solutions.
InDEEP – Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize
Water Bros is participating in the DOE’s InDEEP Prize, focused on new materials and components for Distributed Embedded Energy Converter Technology (DEEC-Tec). This work supports future wave energy systems that are modular, lightweight, and grid-capable.
Finalist
Selected for InDEEP Phase II development
Materials R&D
Collaborating on advanced wave energy materials
Marine Focus
Targeting real-world wave energy applications
NSF I-Corps Mentorship & Underwater Coaxial Turbine Research
Water Bros is serving as an industry mentor to early-stage marine energy researchers at NC State University through the NSF I-Corps program.
Our focus:
Mentorship
Guiding early-stage innovators at NC State
Commercialization
Supporting transition from lab to market
Collaboration
Building bridges between academia and industry
Water Bros is collaborating with researchers from NC State University to look at the commercialization of a tethered underwater coaxial turbine, designed to harness hydrokinetic energy from underwater flows such as the Gulf Stream.
This system features:
Dual Rotor
Two counter-rotating rotors for power generation
Hydro Power
Designed for underwater energy environments
Field Testing
Validation through open-water tow testing
PTO Innovation with UNC Charlotte
We are working to advance Point Absorber Power Take-Off (PTO) systems developed in Dr. Wesley Williams’ lab at UNC Charlotte. These technologies aim to improve energy transfer efficiency and system resilience for wave energy applications.
Areas of focus:
PTO Design
Optimizing point absorber performance
Efficiency
Maximizing energy transfer from wave motion
System Modeling
Simulating performance under marine conditions