Project

Numerical modelling of moored floating structures and energy devices using a non-linear approach

Code
01CD4622
Duration
01 April 2023 → 30 April 2023
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Promotor
Research disciplines
  • Engineering and technology
    • Construction engineering not elsewhere classified
    • Earthquake engineering not elsewhere classified
    • Geotechnical and environmental engineering not elsewhere classified
    • Water engineering not elsewhere classified
    • Wind engineering not elsewhere classified
Keywords
Wave energy converters Moored floating structures Modelling of mooring Floating wind turbines Computational fluid dynamics Smoothed particle hydrodynamics
 
Project description

Moored floating structures are connected to the seabed through mooring line systems composed of cables or chains, and have wide applications in coastal and offshore engineering. Moored floating offshore wind turbines and Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are examples of such stuctures from the field of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE). Mooring systems can represent a considerable part of the total cost of these technologies and they influence their dynamics. Therefore it is crucial to accurately model their behavior in a cost-efficient way. In the proposed research this will be achieved by employing a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model which will be the basis of a numerical platform able to accurately predict the behaviour of moored floating structures and WECs with their power take-off systems, in operational and in extreme sea states. The developed numerical platform will be validated using experimental databases obtained from the upcoming 'WECfarm' project for WEC array interactions (executed at the Coastal & Ocean wave Basin, Belgium), & from the recent EU MariNET2 EsflOWC project where floating moored WECs have been tested. The main objectives of the proposed research aim to cover current knowledge gaps which hamper further development and commercialisation of these MRE emerging technologies. Results' valorisation will be achieved through cooperation with industrial players from the offshore, the MRE & software sectors who have direct interest in the project outcome.