Flow & Benthic Ecology 4D (FLOWBEC)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Physics
Publications
Bell, P.S.
(2014)
Flow & Benthic Ecology 4D (FLOWBEC) (an overview)
Benjamin Williamson (Co-Author)
(2013)
Long-term acoustic measurements of the environment around marine renewable energy devices
Fraser S
(2018)
Fish distributions in a tidal channel indicate the behavioural impact of a marine renewable energy installation
in Energy Reports
James Waggitt (Co-Author)
(2013)
Using a multi-disciplinary approach to quantify spatial overlap between deep diving seabirds and tidal stream turbines
Philippe Blondel (Author)
(2013)
First analysis of long-term multibeam measurements of the environment around a tidal turbine test site in Orkney, Scotland
Philippe Blondel (Co-Author)
(2013)
Long-term multibeam measurements around a tidal turbine test site in Orkney, Scotland
Philippe Blondel (Co-Author)
(2012)
Multibeam imaging of the environment around marine renewable energy devices
Wiesebron L
(2016)
Comparing nekton distributions at two tidal energy sites suggests potential for generic environmental monitoring
in International Journal of Marine Energy
| Description | Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) is an integral part of the commitment to reduce CO2 emissions and use more sustainable sources of energy. But how clean are these new energies? How do they affect the environment? Through the FLOWBEC-4D project, we have designed a new series of instruments and a methodology to analyse measurements, which we validated over 5 deployments at different sites with and without MRE structures. (1) We have designed and developed an acoustic imaging system, integrated into a subsea platform (the FLOWBEC platform). The 4-tonne frame hosts instruments to image the seabed and water column and its environmental conditions. The frame can be deployed fast (20 minutes in 40 metres of water) to account for rapidly changing tides or sea conditions/ The FLOWBEC system can take measurements up to 8 times per second over 2 weeks, catching details of a few centimetres to a range of 50 m. (2) We have successfully deployed and recovered the FLOWBEC platform in the challenging waters of Orkney (Scotland), for 5 deployments of 2 weeks each in 2012 and 2013. We have measured the environments around two tidal turbines, one wave-energy converter and two control sites with no MRE structures. Deployments were conducted during the seabird breeding season which peaks in summer months, assessing the interactions between seabirds, fish and marine mammals. For multibeam imagery alone, several Terabytes of data cover ranges of 50 m from the sonar, encompassing the MRE structure (if any), the seabed, the water surface and any object within range, all imaged 7 times a second for 2 weeks. (3) Algorithms for noise removal, target detection and tracking have been written. It is possible to estimate collision risk and the impact of the turbine structure on tracked targets by considering the vertical distribution of targets and what percentage are likely to encounter the turbine structure. Tracking analyses allow the environmental effect of MRE devices to be explored using the distribution of targets (plankton, fish, birds, marine mammals) and predator-prey interactions with time, tide and space, where space includes vertical use of the water column, and horizontal distribution around the wave and tidal sites, and how this changes with the presence and absence of structures. The vertical habitat preferences of these ecological groups and collision risks can also be evaluated by looking at spatial overlap with MREDs, and collision risk predicted by looking at the overlap with conditions favoured for siting of future MRE structures. These results have been presented in a series of open-access articles, sharing and disseminating the knowledge worldwide. (4) Early dialogue between engineers, scientists and end-users has resulted in a tool (the FLOWBEC platform) and a methodology (data acquisition, target detection and tracking) which can be applied to any MRE structure around the world. This approach can also be used to check the environmental and ecological impacts of any other offshore structure. This is now further developed through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with MeyGen, a marine-renewable company, in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen and the National Oceanography Centre. |
| Exploitation Route | These findings can be taken forward in three ways: - Technologically, the design of an acoustic imaging subsea platform and its successful deployment in the challenging environments of the European Marine Energy Centre have shown the hardware and software strategies that could be used by similar instruments all around the world. This is now explored through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with MeyGen, led by the University of Aberdeen and with the University of Bath and the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool as associate academic partners. - Scientifically, our results show for the first time, in a quantitative and repeatable manner, that it is possible to acoustically detect and follow marine life in complex environments around marine renewable energy structures. This is now taken forward by marine ecologists, comparing measurements from 5 deployments in different settings with population models. Publications with the University of Aberdeen are now being written to develop these different results. - In terms of Marine Renewable Energy, the results from our project show it is possible to quantify accurately impacts of different devices and settings, and de-risk the trial and installation of different MRE structures. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Energy Environment |
| URL | https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Philippe_Blondel |
| Description | Our findings have been used in the field, at the European Marine Energy Centre, during the project itself. We have successfully deployed and recovered the FLOWBEC platform in the challenging waters of Orkney (Scotland), for 5 deployments of 2 weeks each in 2012 and 2013. We have measured the environments around two tidal turbines, one wave-energy converter and two control sites with no MRE structures. Our findings are now being used by other stakeholders, providing direct economic impact. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership, spearheaded by the University of Aberdeen (co-PI on FLOWBEC) and including the National Oceanography Centre - Liverpool (PI on FLOWBEC) and the University of Bath (co-PI on FLOWBEC), has recently been signed with MeyGen, with funding from InnovateUK. The approach and methodology developed in the NERC FLOWBEC project are now considered by North American instrument developers as "examples of good practice", and capitalised on by exchange of personnel and information. Providing a complete tool to assess the environmental and ecological impacts of Marine Renewable Energy structures, our project is de-risking the siting of tidal turbines and wind energy converters, making the demonstration of their value and economic interest easier, and therefore aiding in the development of marine renewable energies at the UK, European and international levels. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Energy,Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic Policy & public services |
| Description | British Standards (BSI) "Underwater Acoustics" |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
| Impact | Partly due to my involvement with the acoustic part of the FLOWBEC project, I was invited to join British Standards BSI committee EH/1/7 "Underwater acoustics". This committee drafts and implements all British standards related to underwater acoustics, as its name implies. It is also heavily influencing European (CEN) and international (ISO) standardisation bodies. This has also influenced the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). |
| URL | https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/committees/50230635 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership |
| Amount | £215,121 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2014 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership |
| Amount | £322,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | KTP009670 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2015 |
| End | 12/2017 |
| Description | UK Acoustics Network Plus |
| Amount | £43,974 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | R/165573 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2023 |
| End | 06/2023 |
| Title | FLOWBEC imaging platform |
| Description | Design and construction of the multibeam imaging part of the FLOWBEC platform, used for autonomous imaging of Marine-Renewable Energy Devices and their immediate environments. This was integrated with the Marine Scotland platform and echo-sounder as part of the NERC FLOWBEC-4D project, and validated through tank measurements, open-water tests and repeated deployments in 2012 and 2013 at the European Marine Energy Centre. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | First ever complete imaging of the environment around Marine Renewable Energy devices, for wave and tidal energy as well as control sites, for two weeks at a time. Full imaging of seabed and water column, enabling tracking of animals. This research tool was essential to the success of the NERC project FLOWBEC-4D, and with our NERC collaborators, we are now looking at improving it and deploying it in other places to assist with the transition to sustainable marine renewables. |
| URL | http://noc.ac.uk/f/staff/psb/Williamson_Blondel_FLOWBEC_ECUA2012_ppt_slides.pdf |
| Title | Multibeam imaging of Marine Renewable Energy Devices and their immediate environments |
| Description | 5 deployments of 2 weeks, throughout 2012 and 2013, at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney (Scotland) next to tidal turbines, wave energy converters and in control sites. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2012 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Joint publications - Ongoing analyses of animal behaviour next to renewable-energy sites - Use in cost-analyses and population dynamics models by biologists. |
| URL | http://www.uaconferences.org/docs/proceedings/UA2014_39.pdf |
| Description | Collaboration with University of Exeter (Renewable Energy group) |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our expertise with acoustic imaging of marine renewable energy devices has been used to assist the Exeter group with their measurements of wave-energy converters at the Falmouth Bay test site (FaBTest). This has included writing articles together, co-supervising one of their PhD students (funded by the European Social Fund) and getting a joint NERC-GW4+ DTP studentship starting in October 2014. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to acoustic datasets from the FaBtest renewable-energy test site in Falmouth Bay. Planned access to DMAC, testing laboratory for marine renewable energy components, at the University of Exeter (Penryn Campus) Travel money to attend meetings on-site for postgraduate co-supervision. |
| Impact | Merchant, N.D., M.J. Witt, Ph. Blondel, B.J. Godley, G.J. Smith; "Assessing sound exposure from shipping in coastal waters using a single hydrophone and Automatic Identification System data", Marine Pollution Bulletin (2012), vol. 64 , no. 7, pp. 1320-1329, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.05.004 Merchant, N.D., M.J. Witt, Ph. Blondel, B.J. Godley, G.H. Smith; "Long-term monitoring of sound exposure from shipping in coastal waters", Proc. 11th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics, Proc. Institute of Acoustics, vol. 34, pt. 3, p. 1026-1033, ECUA-2012, 2012 Merchant, N.D., M.J. Witt, Ph. Blondel, B.J. Godley, G.H. Smith; "Ambient noise in the Western English Channel: correlation to tidal cycles and shipping patterns", Inst. of Acoustics Proc., vol. 33, pt. 5, p. 27-29, Oct. 2011 Bashir, I., Walsh, J., P.R. Thies, S.D. Weller, Ph. Blondel, L. Johanning; "Underwater Acoustic Emission Monitoring - Experimental Investigations and acoustic signature recognition of synthetic mooring ropes", Applied Acoustics, 121:95-103, doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2017.01.033, Jan. 2017 Walsh, J., I. Bashir, J.K. Garrett, P.R. Thies, Ph. Blondel, L. Johanning; "Monitoring the condition of Marine Renewable Energy Devices through underwater Acoustic Emissions: Case study of a Wave Energy Converter in Falmouth Bay, UK", Renewable Energy, 2016, doi:10.1016/j.renene.2016.10.049 Garrett, J., Ph. Blondel, B. Godley, S.K. Pikesley, M.J. Witt, L. Johanning, "Long term underwater sound measurements in the shipping noise indicator bands 63 Hz and 125 Hz from the port of Falmouth Bay, UK", Marine Pollution Bulletin 110(1):438-448, 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.021, June 2016 Walsh, J., I. Bashir, P.R. Thies, L. Johanning, Ph. Blondel; "Acoustic Emission health monitoring of marine renewables - Illustration with a Wave Energy Converter in Falmouth Bay (UK)", Proc. IEEE Oceans'2015, 7 pp., doi:10.1109/OCEANS-Genova.2015.7271455 2015 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI), Bath, May 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI), Bath, May 2015, specifically on marine renewable energies. This talk was very well attended and led to lively discussion with the audience. It was also signposted on environmental group websites prior to the event (e.g. Transition Bath: https://transitionbath.org/calendar/2015-05-29/). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.brlsi.org/events-proceedings/events/marine-renewable-energies-sonar-beasties-and-quest-gr... |
| Description | Blog debate contribution (Guardian) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a blog intervention about "The Severn tidal estuary barrage" (moderated by Leo Hickman, The Guardian), taking place on Thursday 17 April 2012. The entry corresponding to my analyses was commented and re-tweeted, forwarded to other web media. I have since been contacted by local media about other renewable-energy debates. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| URL | http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/may/15/severn-barrage-peter-hain-energy#block-16 |
| Description | Cercle Francais (Bath) - 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | General outreach talk (in French), including presentation of the FLOWBEC project and NERC's activities in marine renewable energies. Close to 50 people attended the event hosted at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (Bath). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://cerclefrancaisbath.wordpress.com/2019/01/02/19-jan-les-grands-oceans/ |
| Description | ENSTA seminar (France), May 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar given at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées Bretagne (ENSTA) - University of Bretagne-Loire(France), 19 May 2017 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Green Impact Forum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This showed awareness of University research with marine renewable energies and their environmental impacts. After this talk, I was contacted by an engineer working with marine renewable energy, with the view of starting projects together. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | IEEE AGM, University of Victoria (BC), Canada - November 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation at the Annual General Meeting of the BC branch of the IEEE. This included presentation of the FLOWBEC results and NERC's activities associated with marine renewable energies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | http://victoria.ieee.ca/oneEvent.php?itemID=IEEE%20Victoria%20Section%20AGM111218 |
| Description | Institute of Mathematical Innovation, University of Bath, 25 May 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation of NERC-funded activities (projects FLOWBEC and AEMORE) and links with mathematics, Institute of Mathematical Innovation, University of Bath, 25 May 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Keynote lecture, Center for Innovative UltraSound (CIUS) conference, Trondheim (Norway), 24 April 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a keynote lecture at the Center for Innovative UltraSound (CIUS) conference, Trondheim (Norway), 24 April 2018. I presented NERC projects FLOWBEC and AEMORE, and general NERC activities in marine renewable energies and mapping of the marine environments. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Pint of Science 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited participation to Pint of Science 2018 event in Bath. My presentation reached to close to 50 people, and included presentation of NERC projects FLOWBEC and AEMORE, as well as NERC's general activities in the field of marine renewable energies and monitoring of climate change. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | SETsquared Scale-Up Environmental, Sustainable, Marine and Maritime Event, University of Bath, 16th October 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation entitled "De-risking marine operations: from renewables to seismics", given to industry and professionals attending an event at the University of Bath's business incubator. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | SIAM-IMA Student Conference, 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation at the SIAM-IMA Student Conference (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics joint with the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications), for its first conference at the University of Bath. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://people.bath.ac.uk/orp20/siam-ima/student-conference-2017/ |
| Description | Science Cafe - type discussion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was a pub-based talk and discussion. The audience included a large section of profiles, from University students to local professionals (including a car salesman and his family, two Welsh farmers, and retired people). The talk lasted 40 minutes and the resulting discussions lasted several hours afterwards. I was also contacted by members of the public afterwards. Several students expressed higher interest in renewable-energy issues. One of them has now started a NERC-GW4+ studentship that I co-supervise with my collaborators at the University of Exeter. A younger student emailed to say she had realised that there was definitely a role for women in this field (I had presented several of my current colleagues as potential role models) and she was going to change her study options to follow her interests better. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
| Description | UK-China Joint Workshop on Coastal Resilience and Marine Renewable Energy, University of Bath, Bath (UK), 31 August 2018 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation at the UK-China Joint Workshop on Coastal Resilience and Marine Renewable Energy, University of Bath, Bath (UK), 31 August 2018. I presented NERC's MRE research, and in particular the FLOWBEC and AEMORE projects, to a selection of Chinese researchers visiting the UK. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |