Real-time wave field mapping for the offshore renewable energy industry

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Physics)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr T Bruce
Energy Systems
University of Edinburgh

Standard

EPSRC

01 April 2008

30 September 2009

18 months

£237,809

Energy

Scotland

Energy -- Energy Research Capacity

Dr T Bruce, Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh

Professor I Bryden, Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh

mr BG Sellar, University of Edinburgh

Project Contact, Queen's University Belfast
Project Contact, Anglia Ruskin University
Project Contact, Maritime Institute, Ireland
Project Contact, Wavebob Ltd, Ireland
Project Contact, University of the Highlands and Islands
Project Contact, Heriot-Watt University

Knowledge of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the next and subsequent waves to act on marine energy converters is essential for optimal control and ultimately, survivability. Currently, it is possible neither to measure nor reliably infer these. The University of Edinburgh has deployed, for the first time, a flexible, optoelectronic senor ribbon (using ShapeTapeTM technology) in its wave flumes. Previous ShapeTape (tm) applications had been limited to human body shape measurement for athlete training and sports research. The University of Edinburgh research has shown the sensor to be capable of resolving, in the 2-d flume, wave elevation data, giving measurements of individual (and spectral) wave heights, periods, shapes and steepnesses with high correlation with the best available wet techniques.Ultimately, a lattice of these sensor ribbons could allow real-time surface mapping of the advancing waves in fully mixed seas and unlock new opportunities for anticipatory adaptive control of converter response. This is not a near-market technology. This proposal seeks to determine the feasibility of achieving these ultimate benefits via this technology. As such, it will extend the measuring equipment, techniques, data capture and processing to add the third dimension, and to the real sea setting. New signal capture and analysis techniques will be explored in the wave basin and open sea. Key challenges that lie ahead on a route to full scale deployment "in anger" will be identified, and whether these are tractable or "show-stoppers" be assessed

19/02/08