Keep an eye on Makai - News Update

Semi-Annual Newsletter

ALOHA!

We had a great 2019, and are excited to see what 2020 and the new decade will bring for Makai! Here is a bit of a year end review since the last newsletter.

To lead our team through this new decade, Greg Rocheleau has been appointed to the position of CEO.

The team in Kona has been hard at work advancing the TFHX^TM heat exchanger technology.

Makai’s software advancements continues to further improve automation and installation accuracy.

Makai has recently been selected to design an intake pipeline for a California lake.

The subsea technologies group was recently awarded two SBIR/STTR Phase II contracts.

Be sure to take a look at the current openings, and keep an eye on our employment web page for future job opportunities.

We hope you enjoy!

With Aloha,

The MOE Team

www.makai.com

Makai Appoints New CEO

Greg Rocheleau has been appointed to Chief Executive Officer of Makai Ocean Engineering. We are fortunate to have someone of Mr. Rocheleau’s caliber and experience to lead us into this next decade. Formerly a technical lead and most recently Makai’s Director of Engineering, Mr. Rocheleau has a proven track record of leading teams of engineers, while also being able to assist in the technical aspects of projects. As Director of Engineering, working closely with Dr. Andres for the last 6 years, Mr. Rocheleau has developed a solid understanding of all aspects of the business.

Dr. Jose Andres has stepped down as CEO, but will be staying on part time to assist Makai’s technical teams. Dr. Andres’ success has taken the company from 14 employees in 2006, to the 36 we currently have. We very much appreciate all that Dr. Andres has done for this company and our employees over the years.

Makai Continues to Advance TFHX^TM Technology

Three TFHX^TM units provide the algae facility with advanced thermal control.

Makai has been developing and designing next-generation heat exchangers for marine, energy, and defense applications. Makai was recently awarded a U.S. Air Force Phase II SBIR to continue development of the TFHX^TM for future aircraft. As part of this effort, Makai is building and demonstrating a prototype heat exchanger.

Among the group’s other work to develop the TFHX^TM for Navy, Air Force, and Army applications, Makai recently built and installed three commercial prototype units. The prototype heat exchangers were installed at a commercial algae production facility at the Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park in Kona. The TFHX^TM system significantly improved temperature control over the growth pond, replacing the traditional and much bulkier tube-type heat exchangers, and was shown to result in streamlined operations and maintenance.

This effort was funded in part by a grant from the State of Hawaii, Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC). We would like to give a big Mahalo to HTDC for their continued support of Makai’s heat exchanger development and other projects. Their support has allowed Makai’s engineers to advance this and other technologies at a faster pace than would otherwise be possible.

Contact us to discuss your heat exchanger application!

Makai's Software Developments Aimed at Further Automation

Makai's advancements in Automatic Route Generation will decrease the time and effort involved in planning a cable route.

Funded in part by an HTDC grant, Makai is looking to the future of cable route planning, working to further automate its software packages in order to simplify the planning and installation of subsea cables.

Current methods of developing an undersea cable route involves processing of numerous datasets where the planner makes decisions based on several competing constraints such as seabed slopes, crossing existing cables, navigating environmentally restricted regions, political boundaries, etc. Makai is developing an Automatic Route Generation Tool where route planners can input constraints into a routing algorithm and an optimized route will be automatically computed. The tool will save hours of front-end manual work.

Makai anticipates completing the initial test version of the software in 2020.

KCS's new ship uses MakaiLay to automatically operate SMD's cable engines.

The latest version of MakaiLay real-time at-sea control software was commissioned on the new KDDI Cable Infinity cable laying vessel of Kokusai Cable Ship Co. Ltd. (KCS). Working with Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD), Makai added direct serial connection between our Automatic Cable Engine Control module and SMD’s cable engine for direct communication and controls.

Using this module, the MakaiLay operator can request and take direct control of the cable engine. Optimized cable payout instructions calculated by MakaiLay are then automatically issued to the cable engine without lag or intermediary operators in the loop, maintaining the proper bottom slack/tension during cable installation.

This tool builds on Makai’s constant efforts to improve the quality of subsea cable installations. These features give project owners the assurance that their investment will last.

How can Makai's software products help you with your cable projects?

MakaiLay with Touch Down Monitoring Improves Installation Accuracy

MakaiLay incorporates real time touch down monitoring data for improved installation.

Makai’s submarine cable team developed a custom version of our MakaiLay software to support ASN Marine’s new installation methodology using a Touch Down Monitoring (TDM) tool. The heavy TDM tool is towed close to the ocean bottom, with the cable passing through it. Having “eyes” on the cable as it is laid on the seafloor allows ASN to achieve improved installation accuracies.

Makai’s new version provided ASN Marine the option to log all the additional devices and to model the cable shape between the TDM tool and cable touchdown. The system was successfully used during the phase 1 of Johan Sverdrup permanent reservoir monitoring (PRM) system installation.

Contact Makai about your Subsea Telecom or Power Cable project!

California Lake Water Intake Pipeline

The new intake system will maintain operations even during times of drought.

Makai has been awarded the final design for a lake water intake pipeline in California. Due to the droughts that have plagued California in recent years, it’s become evident that the water level of the lake could lower to a point where a gravity fed intake system will no longer be viable.

Makai is designing a secured pipeline to join a new pump station and the existing intake tower. This will feed water from the lower water level into the existing intake tower that will then be distributed to residents in the area.

HDPE pipelines provide a rugged and flexible solution for reservoir, lake, and marine intake systems.

Interested in learning more about Makai's Pipeline Experience?

Makai Awarded Two Phase 2 SBIR/STTR Contracts

Makai has been awarded a Phase 2 STTR to develop a Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) tow cable. Makai has partnered with Georgia Tech Research Corporation, and fiber optic sensing technology expert Silixa, for this effort. The team’s solution will provide accurate and real time temperature measurement capabilities to the Navy and eliminate the need for the predictive models that are currently used.

The second Phase 2 SBIR award that Makai received was to develop methods for actively straightening of the Navy’s vertical towed arrays used on The Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS). Makai’s system will account for ocean currents and the tow speed and path, then make corrective actions in order to straighten the array over its entire length. By straightening the vertical array, Makai’s system is expected to improve the accuracy of the sensors.

Employee Spotlight:

Kayo Fujiwara

Software Engineer

Kayo joined Makai in 2007 as a software engineer. Kayo attended University of Hawaii, where she received her Master of Science degree in Computer Science. In addition to holding a M.S. degree in computer science, Kayo received her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Geophysics (physical oceanography) from University of Tokyo in Japan.

Kayo’s role at Makai for the last 12 years has been as a software engineer responsible for designing and developing MakaiPlan and MakaiLay systems, as well as the numerous modules that have been developed such as power, seismic, and more. Kayo has also been involved in several other software and GIS development projects for Makai. Examples include a Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) tool that analyzes NOAA fisheries data, which are stored in Oracle database, and to output the result in the KML format so that it can be displayed on Google Earth.

When she is not developing Makai’s software, Kayo enjoys watching movies, theatrical plays, and traveling.

What are you working on?

If you have a project related to the ocean, we can probably help.
We are nimble, creative, cost-effective, and most importantly, our designs last.
We'd love to discuss your project that might involve:

Subsea Pipe / Cable Systems

Pipeline designs
Cable designs
Micro fiber optic cable systems
Cable planning and installation software and services
Survey support

Energy Systems

Cooling water intake and screen designs
Heat exchangers
Bottoming cycle power plant designs
Energy storage designs
Offshore wind / wave / tidal engineering
District cooling designs
Engineering & economic modeling

Marine Vehicles & Buoys

Underwater vehicle design
Sonobuoy component design
Submarine Launch, Recovery, Transport vehicles
Naval architecture

General Engineering Support

Corrosion R&D and testing
Materials Testing
Environmental consulting
Physics-based modeling
Software development
GIS software and services
Value engineering

Please call or email us today for a free consultation about your project.

Contact one of Makai's Ocean Engineers!