A3 - Resource and environmental characterisation in physical modelling facilities
A - Resource and Environment Characterisation
Challenges/Opportunities
Real ocean behaviour, such as the turbulence in combined waves and current, is poorly understood and difficult to simulate in the laboratory.
Solution
New physical modelling technologies can be developed to produce more representative ocean conditions in controlled setting.
Context and Need
Designing for offshore conditions requires detailed analysis of the impact of wind, waves, currents and turbulence on the loads and performance of ORE devices. Numerical modelling can inform certain design aspects, but this needs to be supported and validated by controlled and repeatable laboratory testing. This testing provides data that represents regular and extreme loading, device performance and survivability. Testing in wave basins and wind tunnels is particularly useful where complex or coupled effects are present, such as turbulence or wind and waves. However, this testing is always performed at reduced geometric scale and there can be challenges with reproducing and then characterising the field conditions in the laboratory facility. Refining laboratory facilities using new modelling technologies, allows more realistic simulation of offshore scenarios.
Summary
Laboratory facilities are increasing the realism of their simulations. New techniques allow complex aspects of the ocean environment to be modelled in the lab, such as combined wave and current characteristics, turbulence parameters, and combinations of wind, wave and current.
Impact Potential
Potential impact on both OPEX and CAPEX via improved reproduction of complex field conditions leading to improved fidelity and reduced uncertainty in performance and extreme loading. Specifically, demonstration in hostile and extreme conditions at significant laboratory scale is important to deliver confidence in design and investment decisions.
Research Status
On-going work at FloWave to characterise tank conditions and their representation of field conditions.
- FloWTurb: Response of Tidal Energy Converters to Combined Tidal Flow, Waves, and Turbulence
- Marinet2 project on cross-tank comparisons which may overlap with refining in tank conditions.