Extension of UKCMER Core Research, Industry and International Engagement

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor R Wallace
Energy Systems
University of Edinburgh

Standard

EPSRC

01 January 2015

31 December 2017

36 months

£795,262

Energy

Scotland

Energy : Energy

Professor R Wallace, Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh

Prof DM Ingram, Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh
Dr L Johanning, Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter
Mr C Johnstone, Mechanical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
Dr A Kiprakis, Sch of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh
Dr I Masters, Engineering, Swansea University

Project Contact, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Project Contact, Swansea University
Project Contact, Queen's University Belfast
Project Contact, University of Strathclyde
Project Contact, University of the Highlands and Islands
Project Contact, University of Exeter
Project Contact, RenewableUK
Project Contact, Brunel University
Project Contact, University of Chichester
Project Contact, Reaseheath College

Wave and tidal energy devices are subjected to normal everyday loadings and abnormal extreme loadings. Extreme loadings are severe and less frequent. The repetitive loadings arising from wave-device interaction or current-blade-structure interaction are lower and occur very frequently in normal operation. Economic designs that will survive have to withstand, without structural failure, a combination of these types of loading over the design life of the device and its subsystems. Cumulative fatigue damage in the wave or turbulent-current environment could occur earlier than anticipated in the life of wave or tidal current technologies and needs to be better understood to predict wear-out or failure and ensure designs are robust without entailing excessive cost. This work will explore numerically through computer modelling, and physically through preliminary model- and sea-testing, the interaction of tidal and wave devices with their sea that surrounds them, one another, their moorings and the electricity network to understand the cyclic and irregular forces acting and the structural loadings arising, ultimately aiming to reduce fatigue effects and increase reliability

09/12/14