Extension of UKCMER Core Research, Industry and International Engagement
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Engineering
Abstract
Wave and tidal energy devices are subjected to normal everyday loadings and abnormal extreme loadings. Extreme loadings are severe and less frequent. The repetitive loadings arising from wave-device interaction or current-blade-structure interaction are lower and occur very frequently in normal operation. Economic designs that will survive have to withstand, without structural failure, a combination of these types of loading over the design life of the device and its subsystems. Cumulative fatigue damage in the wave or turbulent-current environment could occur earlier than anticipated in the life of wave or tidal current technologies and needs to be better understood to predict wear-out or failure and ensure designs are robust without entailing excessive cost. This work will explore numerically through computer modelling, and physically through preliminary model- and sea-testing, the interaction of tidal and wave devices with their sea that surrounds them, one another, their moorings and the electricity network to understand the cyclic and irregular forces acting and the structural loadings arising, ultimately aiming to reduce fatigue effects and increase reliability.
Planned Impact
Tidal and wave energy converters are being demonstrated at full-scale in UK waters, supplying the electricity network. Meeting the 2020 and later targets for installed marine energy capacity mandates that single-device installations are up-scaled into arrays, farms and parks. Concurrently fledgling and new technologies must be systematically de-risked. With increased operational service and experience, it is now timely and necessary to explore cyclic loadings and consequent fatigue effects and their consequences for reliability to avoid early component or device failure.
The work proposed will model, predict and measure the repetitive cyclic and irregular forces on devices as the interact with the sea, one another, their moorings and the electricity network. The forecast loading regimes will be used to explore the cumulative fatigue damage and how this could affect wear out and failure of devices, structures, subsystems or components.
Device developers, manufacturers, installers, operating and maintenance companies, and marine energy farm owners will benefit by the findings of this research. Structures, subsystems or component parts, subject to repetitive loadings and stresses could be better designed, manufactured, installed, operated and maintained to avoid premature failure and costly downtime, or more expensive repair or replacement.
Standards and certification authorities will be advised by the findings for future evolution of design codes for the marine energy environment.
The wider sector will benefit by the prior avoidance of failure and associated reputational risk.
The work proposed will model, predict and measure the repetitive cyclic and irregular forces on devices as the interact with the sea, one another, their moorings and the electricity network. The forecast loading regimes will be used to explore the cumulative fatigue damage and how this could affect wear out and failure of devices, structures, subsystems or components.
Device developers, manufacturers, installers, operating and maintenance companies, and marine energy farm owners will benefit by the findings of this research. Structures, subsystems or component parts, subject to repetitive loadings and stresses could be better designed, manufactured, installed, operated and maintained to avoid premature failure and costly downtime, or more expensive repair or replacement.
Standards and certification authorities will be advised by the findings for future evolution of design codes for the marine energy environment.
The wider sector will benefit by the prior avoidance of failure and associated reputational risk.
Organisations
- University of Edinburgh (Lead Research Organisation)
- Swansea University (Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Project Partner)
- RenewableUK (Project Partner)
- Queen's University Belfast (Project Partner)
- Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (Project Partner)
- University of Strathclyde (Project Partner)
Publications
Togneri M
(2017)
Comparison of ADCP observations and 3D model simulations of turbulence at a tidal energy site
in Renewable Energy
Allmark M
(2017)
An approach to the characterisation of the performance of a tidal stream turbine
in Renewable Energy
McGilton B
(2017)
Optimisation procedure for designing a magnetic gear
in The Journal of Engineering
Kurniawan A
(2017)
Wave energy absorption by a submerged air bag connected to a rigid float.
in Proceedings. Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Creech A
(2017)
Effects of Support Structures in an LES Actuator Line Model of a Tidal Turbine with Contra-Rotating Rotors
in Energies
Payne G
(2017)
Design and manufacture of a bed supported tidal turbine model for blade and shaft load measurement in turbulent flow and waves
in Renewable Energy
Ransley E
(2017)
Survivability of wave energy converters using CFD
in Renewable Energy
De Andres A
(2017)
On the reversed LCOE calculation: Design constraints for wave energy commercialization
in International Journal of Marine Energy
Side J
(2017)
Developing methodologies for large scale wave and tidal stream marine renewable energy extraction and its environmental impact: An overview of the TeraWatt project
in Ocean & Coastal Management
Anderlini E
(2017)
Reactive control of a wave energy converter using artificial neural networks
in International Journal of Marine Energy
Draycott S
(2017)
Simulating Extreme Directional Wave Conditions
in Energies
Elasha F
(2017)
A hybrid prognostic methodology for tidal turbine gearboxes
in Renewable Energy
Sadykova D
(2017)
Bayesian joint models with INLA exploring marine mobile predator-prey and competitor species habitat overlap.
in Ecology and evolution
Draycott S
(2017)
Re-Creating Waves in Large Currents for Tidal Energy Applications
in Energies
Crossley G
(2017)
Quantifying uncertainty in acoustic measurements of tidal flows using a 'Virtual' Doppler Current Profiler
in Ocean Engineering
O'Hara Murray R
(2017)
Data review and the development of realistic tidal and wave energy scenarios for numerical modelling of Orkney Islands waters, Scotland
in Ocean & Coastal Management
Venugopal V
(2017)
Numerical modelling of wave energy resources and assessment of wave energy extraction by large scale wave farms
in Ocean & Coastal Management
Edmunds M
(2017)
An enhanced disk averaged CFD model for the simulation of horizontal axis tidal turbines
in Renewable Energy
Ransley E
(2017)
RANS-VOF modelling of the Wavestar point absorber
in Renewable Energy
Collin A
(2017)
Electrical Components for Marine Renewable Energy Arrays: A Techno-Economic Review
in Energies
Fairley I
(2018)
The influence of waves on morphodynamic impacts of energy extraction at a tidal stream turbine site in the Pentland Firth
in Renewable Energy
Sellar B
(2018)
Characterisation of Tidal Flows at the European Marine Energy Centre in the Absence of Ocean Waves
in Energies
Greenwood C
(2018)
The approximation of a sea surface using a shore mounted X-band radar with low grazing angle
in Remote Sensing of Environment
Hann M
(2018)
Use of constrained focused waves to measure extreme loading of a taut moored floating wave energy converter
in Ocean Engineering
Draycott S
(2018)
Re-creation of site-specific multi-directional waves with non-collinear current
in Ocean Engineering
Wilson R
(2018)
A synthetic map of the north-west European Shelf sedimentary environment for applications in marine science
in Earth System Science Data
Antonutti R
(2018)
Dynamic mooring simulation with Code_Aster with application to a floating wind turbine
in Ocean Engineering
Draycott S
(2019)
Environmental & load data: 1:15 Scale tidal turbine subject to a variety of regular wave conditions.
in Data in brief
Draycott S
(2019)
Experimental assessment of tidal turbine loading from irregular waves over a tidal cycle
in Journal of Ocean Engineering and Marine Energy
Draycott S
(2019)
Assessing extreme loads on a tidal turbine using focused wave groups in energetic currents
in Renewable Energy
Togneri M
(2020)
Comparison of synthetic turbulence approaches for blade element momentum theory prediction of tidal turbine performance and loads
in Renewable Energy
Noble D
(2020)
Experimental Assessment of Flow, Performance, and Loads for Tidal Turbines in a Closely-Spaced Array
in Energies
Viola I
(2022)
Underwater LED-based Lagrangian particle tracking velocimetry
in Journal of Visualization
Gabl R
(2022)
Underwater LED-based Lagrangian Particle Tracking Velocimetry
in The 9th Conference on Computational Methods in Marine Engineering (Marine 2021)
Description | This project is now concluded. The research leading to and contributing to this grant application and our early work has shown that the effects of wave action on tidal current turbines in the water column can be as significant as incipient turbulence. This led to the objectives of testing 3 tidal turbines in an electrically and hydro-dynamically interconnected array under the action of waves and currents in the FloWave tank. It was first test programme of its type in the world. The outputs, findings, impact, collaborations and industry and policy interaction were reported at the 2018 Annual Assembly, available to download from the website. The associated publications are in press and are reported in the Phase 4 submission to Research Fish |
Exploitation Route | This will advise the tidal energy community on array layout and control strategies. |
Sectors | Energy |
URL | https://supergen-marine.org.uk/events/past-events/assembly-2018 |
Description | The work of this collaboration has influenced technology, policy, standards and practice in the marine energy sector. |
First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
Sector | Energy,Environment |
Description | Extension of UKCMER Core Research, Industry and International Engagement |
Amount | £1,517,202 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/P008682/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2016 |
End | 11/2018 |