Reducing the Costs of Marine Renewables via Advanced Structural Materials (ReC-ASM)

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

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

Not Cross-cutting

Professor M Stack
Mechanical Engineering
University of Strathclyde

Standard

EPSRC

19 June 2013

18 May 2017

47 months

£1,010,584

Energy

Scotland

Energy : Energy

Professor M Stack, Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde

Professor AS Bahaj, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton
Professor S Bull, School of Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials, Newcastle University
Dr EA Charles, School of Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials, Newcastle University
Mr C Johnstone, Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
Dr L Myers, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton
Dr J Race, School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University
Dr J Wharton, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton
Professor RJK Wood, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton

Project Contact, Nautricity
Project Contact, IT Power Ltd
Project Contact, Marine Current Turbines Ltd

For marine renewable energy conversion to achieve a much needed step change in cost reduction, whilst proving to be cost effective and a reliable source for electricity supply, a number of major engineering challenges need to be addressed. The biggest challenge relates to the scaling up of the power capture interface (device level) and new approaches to the station keeping system (physical environment) which in turn is governed by the characteristics of the resource. In order to achieve technology cost reduction, it is envisaged that the development of marine renewable will emulate the development practices adopted in the early days of the wind energy industry and embark on building and deploying larger diameter rotors to increase device capacity and through this deliver lower unit costs. The challenge however relates to managing the resulting consequences on structural loadings. These increase with the square of the diameter of rotors/ power capture interface. As such, this approach will result in the materials used in the power capture interface operating under very high loading conditions.Evidence to date indicates that all large horizontal axis rotor systems greater than 15m diameter, which have been deployed in full scale tidal environments, have succumbed to catastrophic rotor blade failure. Hence, there is a serious Materials challange in developing more robust materials for the operating environment. By combining expertise in Tidal Energy and Materials Science, this project aims to tackle this issue, through a combination of laboratory testing and modelling

16/08/13