Hybrid Hydrokinetic Energy Capture

Overview

Hybrid Hydrokinetic Energy Capture (HHEC) is a research project at Western Carolina University lead by Dr. Mickey Henson in the Construction Management Program. The project started in the Fall of 2024, and originally involved 10-15 members from different practices in the School of Engineering including Electrical, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering students, as well as some students from Construction Management. The technology involves a small remote controlled boat that senses current profiles in a body of water, and using that data, it will automatically redirect to the strongest current. Once there, the boat drops a small turbine to collect energy from the current and when it is fully charged, it docks and offloads the energy to a station on a nearby bank.

My Project Role

At the beginning of project I was responsible for managing site conditions, site testing, and data capture. Using a DJI Mini 4 Pro drone and total stations provided by the school, I was able to make an accurate 3D model of the NCCAT Pond area.

Team Process

With other team members and myself, we used an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) loaned by a sponsoring company to map the velocity of the currents in the pond to calculate the best placement of our device.

Golden, Colorado

In July of 2025, 4 team members including myself and Dr. Mickey Henson traveled to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden Colorado to compete in the Department of Energy's EnergyTech UP Competition against more then 20 other teams. My team and I were also fortunate to tour the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and we learned about the various developing technologies involving renewable technology.

Present day

Currently, I serve the project as an advisor to the undergraduate students. The present day members are in the process of installing a communication station on the project site to be able to communicate with the boat.

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