B1 - Realistic fluid-structure-seabed design tools that work together, not in isolation

B - Fluid-structure Seabed Interaction

Status - published
Last updated on: 17/11/2023

Challenges/Opportunities

Many design tools and processes neglect non-linear effects and cover a single discipline in isolation, leading to poor design outcomes

Solution

Existing models need to be improved and coupled to provide integrated whole system design tools

Context and Need

There is a need to reduce the time required for the design process, and eliminate unnecessary conservatism where it exists, so that ORE systems can be optimised and made more efficient. Many existing design tools have significant shortcomings that mean conservatism must be built in. For example, the tools may not capture important non-linear effects, are not fully integrated across all the different disciplines involved in the design, are not coupled across the appropriate scales, or lack appropriate validation.

Summary

Design tools are used to predict how structures interact with the sea and the seabed, to test and improve designs. The current generation of simulation tools generally focus on one aspect of aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structural dynamics or geotechnics, with simplified exchanges of data between them, meaning conservative simplifications must be made. Improving and coupling existing models will lead to better designs.

Impact Potential

More accurate whole-systems design models will enable faster and cheaper design up front. They also offer better assessment of the long-term performance of the design.

Design simulation can be applied to all ORE technologies, lowering CAPEX and OPEX and making investment more attractive.

Whole-systems simulations that better informs across the full performance and impact of ORE systems will contribute towards social and environmental acceptance. The existence of validated design tools ensures that new technologies can be adopted

Research Status

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