The National Institute of Ocean Technology was established in November 1993 as a registered society under the administrative control of the Department of Ocean Development with a view to developing technology in ocean sector activities Besides providing technical inputs on ocean technology to the Department, NIOT would also render consultancy services to industries. NIOT is currently undertaking various time-bound projects under 4 missions i.e. Ocean Energy, Deep sea technology and ocean mining, Coastal Zone Studies and Marine Instrumentation.

The major activities under the each mission during the year are as follows:

Mission I Ocean Energy

* A pilot plant for wave energy was commissioned at Vizhinjam in Kerala in 1991. Based on the experiments conducted, a new power module was designed and developed. Performance monitoring of new power module commissioned at the wave energy plant at Vizhinjam has been carried out from March 1996. A technical report was prepared based on the data collected, This has been reviewed by the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) constituted by the department. As per the recommendations of the TEC, a new turbine having better performance characteristics for a wide range of input wave power, has been designed and fabricated.

* Initiated feasibility studies for development of 1 MW for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant for the Indian coast.

Mission II Deep sea technology and Ocean Mining

* A test rig for optimizing the jet pump configuration for shallow water mining has been designed and various sub-systems are under different stages of fabrication.

* Final assembly of underwater manipulator that would be mounted on Remotely Operable Vehicle (ROV) for collecting samples is in progress.

Mission III Coastal Zone Studies

* Validation of hydrodynamic model for predicting near-shore hydrodynamics is completed. A technical manual is being prepared.

* Development of software for sediment transport is underway.

Mission IV Marine Instrumentation

* An air acoustic transducer, designed and developed by NIOT, has undergone laboratory trials successfully.

* Development of multi layer underwater current meter and Remotely Operable Sea Skimmer (ROSS) for rapid acquisition of oceanographic data are in progress. Fabrication of the unsinkable hull made of fibreglass has been completed.

Consultancy

* NIOT has undertaken the review of the design of jetty which is being constructed at Mundra, Gujarat. Preliminary study for possible use of floating breakwater to protect the jetty during the monsoon season has been completed.

* Effluent discharge pipeline in the Ennore area for M/s. SPIC Petrochemicals, Madras, has been analysed to increase the effluent discharge.