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Chris Bassett Research Scientist/Engineer Principal cbassett@uw.edu Phone 206-543-1263 |
Research Interests
Passive Noise Studies, Acoustic Scattering, Sea Ice, Marine Renewable Energy, Fisheries Acoustics, Anthropogenic Noise
Biosketch
Chris applies passive and active acoustic techniques to a variety of underwater applications. Some of his previous and ongoing studies include fisheries acoustics; high-frequency scattering from sea ice, crude oil, and physical oceanographic processes; measurements of anthropogenic noise; and ambient noise studies.
Education
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2007
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, 2010
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Washington, 2013
Videos
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Predictable, Reliable Power from Tides A Laboratory marine energy conversion system, the Turbine-Lander, passed an endurance test of 141 days in Sequim Bay, Washington. It is a novel laboratory-to-the-field system. Extensive studies during development provide a basis to understand the data collected in Sequim Bay. Lessons learned will improve system design: more efficient power generation and greater resilience to harsh ocean conditions. |
9 Jul 2025
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Connecting to the Ocean's Power: Marine Energy Research at APL-UW The U.S. Navy's support of the University of Washington, one of the nation's preeminent research universities, leverages APL-UW capabilities with university academic expertise to address a wide range of topics in marine energy through experimentation and evaluation in laboratory settings and field deployments of prototype systems. |
5 Jul 2023
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Turbulence Generated by Tides in the Canal de Chacao, Chile At a proposed tidal energy conversion site in southern Chile, APL-UW researchers measured the magnitude and scales of turbulence, both to aid in the design of turbines for the site and to understand the fundamental dynamics of flows through the channel. Principal Investigator Jim Thomson chronicled all phases of the Chilean experiment through posts to the New York Times 'Scientist at Work' blog. |
7 Mar 2013
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Publications |
2000-present and while at APL-UW |
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Field testing of an axial-flow marine current turbine with passive adaptive blades Van Ness, K.D., J. Burnett, J. Dosher, B.P. Cunningham, R. Barber and C. Bassett, "Field testing of an axial-flow marine current turbine with passive adaptive blades," Renewable Energy, 276, doi:10.1016/j.renene.2026.126391, 2026. |
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15 Nov 2026
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For axial-flow turbines, passive adaptive blades designed to passively feather in response to increasing thrust have the potential to decrease peak loads without the need for active pitch mechanisms, which come at the cost of additional failure modes and system complexity. In this study, we tested a 1-meter diameter axial-flow turbine in open water with two sets of composite blades: one blade set with a bend–twist coupling and a second, neutral blade set with no bend–twist coupling for comparison. Both blade sets were tested over a range of tip-speed ratios from λ = 2 to 9, inflow speeds from 0.9 to 1.8 m/s, and yaw angles of 0°, 15°, and 25°. The neutral blades were also tested over a range of preset blade pitch angles from –3° to 20°. Testing over this wide range of operating conditions allowed us to assess the benefits of passive adaptive blades under low-frequency flow fluctuations in above-rated flow speeds (like those experienced during a tidal cycle) as well as cyclic, once-per-revolution loading. The bend–twist coupled blades were observed to achieve the same peak power coefficient as the neutral blades with a 7% reduction in thrust when operating at peak efficiency, and up to a 15% reduction in thrust at high tip-speed ratios. Interpolating across the experimental data, we simulated multiple off-design control strategies which estimate even greater load reduction potential. Further comparisons under yawed inflow are also discussed. |
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The structure and lifecycle of stratified mixing by shear instabilities in continuously forced flows Lefauve, A., C. Bassett, D.S. Plotnick, A.C. Lavery, and W.R. Geyer, "The structure and lifecycle of stratified mixing by shear instabilities in continuously forced flows," J. Geophys. Res., 131, doi:10.1029/2025JC023905, 2026. |
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10 Jul 2026
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The turbulent energy cascade of ocean mixing remains poorly understood at geophysically large Reynolds numbers (Re). Here we propose a new conceptual model for the structure of small-scale mixing grounded in high-resolution multibeam echosounding observations from the mouth of the Connecticut River, a shallow salt-wedge estuary. Tidal forcing and bottom topography slope the pycnocline, sustaining interfacial shear and Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities well below the marginal instability threshold on a vertical scale of order 1 m. Acoustic backscatter, used here as a proxy for salinity microstructure dissipation, provides time-resolved two-dimensional imagery of the structure and evolution of turbulent mixing. At Re ∼106, we find that mixing is dominated not by the collapse of slowly evolving billow cores as at Re ∼103 – 104, but instead by fast turbulence within the ∼0.1 m thin, shallow-sloping braids that connect them, energized by baroclinic shear. We interpret these observations using two-dimensional direct numerical simulation at field-matched parameters, which predicts the emergence of secondary Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities and turbulence within the braids, pre-empting further steepening and primary overturn. We then estimate turbulent dissipation and scalar variance dissipation at the pycnocline and braid scales using physics-based scalings involving only the local slope, shear and layer thickness. Laboratory experiments in an inclined duct, an analog of the turbulent braid regime, visualize mixing down to dissipative scales, where it remains organized in myriad thin, sheared, intense filaments rather than overturns. We conclude that high-Re mixing hotspots with sustained shear forcing follow fundamentally different dynamics than previously thought. |
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Observations of marine animal interactions with a small tidal turbine Cotter, E., C. Bassett, P. Murphy, M. Scott, A. Runyan, J.M. Almokharrak, L.G. Kao, L.M. Ovall, and S.A. McMillen, "Observations of marine animal interactions with a small tidal turbine," Plos One, 21, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0338376, 2026. |
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14 Jan 2026
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The risk of collisions between animals and operating tidal turbines remains a concern in the scientific and regulatory communities. A sensor package including optical cameras was deployed to monitor animal interactions with a small-scale (1 m2) cross-flow tidal turbine. The turbine was deployed in Washington State, USA for 141 days at a site with peak flow speeds of 2.5 m/s. We analyze optical camera imagery spanning 109 days of turbine operation. The analyzed images contain 1044 observations of fish, fish schools, seabirds, or seals in the vicinity of the turbine. No instances of collision with seabirds or seals were observed. Seabirds were only observed during daylight hours and while the turbine was stationary. Both seals and fish were observed during both day and night and while the turbine was stationary and rotating. Four fish were observed colliding with the moving turbine and in all but one case the animals swam away following the collision. Over the same period of time, over fifty times more fish (224 individual fish and 5 fish schools) were observed passing the moving turbine without collision. Fish encounters were likely under counted due to the difficulty in discerning small fish from plant matter in the water column. These observations represent the first optical camera imagery showing fish, bird, and marine mammal interactions with a tidal turbine in North America. In addition to quantitative and qualitative discussion of the implications of our observations for collision risk, we discuss lessons learned on sampling schemes and deployment of machine learning for detection of animals to inform future data collection strategies in future monitoring campaigns. |
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In The News
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Underwater cameras could help unlock America’s tidal energy industry Inside Climate News, Johnny Sturgeon Analysis of an experimental tidal turbine in Washington state recorded no collisions with seals or birds. Underwater turbines could ultimately provide clean energy to over 20 million U.S. homes, the Energy Department says. |
14 Jan 2026
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Oscilla Power, Univ. of Wash. and others share $25M federal grant to spur wave energy efforts GeekWire, Lisa Stiffler The UW, in partnership with Integral Consulting, will study the underwater noise being created by wave energy converters that are being tested at the PacWave South facility on the Oregon Coast. The information will be helpful to wave energy entrepreneurs and regulating agencies working to make sure the devices don’t harm marine life. |
27 Jan 2022
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Sounds of the sea: Stones clanging Inside Science, Joel N. Shurkin Tide-borne pebbles on the seabed can drown out other ocean noises. According to research by Christopher Bassett and colleagues published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the noise from gravel on the seabed is significant to the overall undersea soundscape. |
21 May 2013
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