Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | EP/M020282/1 | |
| Title | A feasibility study for establishing a design tool for floating tidal energy system | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Dr Q Xiao No email address given Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering University of Strathclyde |
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| Award Type | Standard | |
| Funding Source | EPSRC | |
| Start Date | 30 October 2014 | |
| End Date | 31 October 2015 | |
| Duration | 12 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £115,854 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | Scotland | |
| Programme | Newton Programme | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Dr Q Xiao , Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde (100.000%) |
| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Harbin Engineering University, China (0.000%) Project Contact , Ocean University of China (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | ||
| Abstract | In the past decade, tidal stream energy converters have become a major focus for renewable energy R&D with a number of turbine farms now in its planning and development phase. The majority of existing designs for tidal energy devices utilize sea-bed mounted turbine energy converters. These underwater devices however present many challenges related to economic and technical viability in terms of their installations and maintenances cost.In recent years, a floating type tidal energy device is being developed. The installation of such a device comprises of single or multiple turbines mounted on a floating platform anchored to the sea-bed with mooring lines.Research and industry teams in China and UK have presented multiple demonstrations both on a model scale and a full scale floating tidal energy converter. All of the results add credibility to their technical feasibility and cost effective nature as compared to fixed turbines.Despite the advantages of floating tidal current turbines (FTCT) over their fixed counterparts, the existing design guidance is not deemed to be ready for the commercial market. The key challenges include guaranteeing the safety of supporting platform and floating mooring lines, the survivability of large scale rotor under extreme sea conditions, the accurate assessment for the proper site selection and the reliable evaluation of environmental impacts. Existing industry design tools rely very much on the simplified models or individual component design rules which negatively impact the energy extraction process/amount/supply. The proposed project aims to integrate the work already carried out at University of Strathclyde in UK in the field of offshore renewable energy and floating offshore structure with the work performed at (a) Harbin Engineering University in China in the area of floating tidal turbine and (b) Ocean University of China in China in the field of tidal resources and environment impacts assessment. The main goal of the proposed research is to explore whether an integrated method is feasible to better understand the fundamental physics associated with a coupled floating tidal energy system through numerical framework with experimental comparisons and validations. This would then potentially provide more accurate industry design guidelines for the future commercialized FTCTs and other floating marine energy devices | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 24/11/14 | |
