Drag force as a function of cross section and angle of attack. A hydraulic laboratory dataset for numerical validation

This data relates to a set of hydraulic laboratory experiments in which the flow around four cross-sections was investigated. Each cross section was examined at four angles of attack (0, 5, 10, 90°), seven velocities (0–0.7 m/s in 0.1 m/s steps) and two flow directions. The data is primarily from an array of load cell which monitored the loading on the cross-sections during testing in six degrees of freedom during testing. Video and photographs are also included

Description of an 8 MW reference wind turbine

An 8 MW wind turbine is described in terms of mass distribution, dimensions, power curve, thrust curve, maximum design load and tower configuration. This turbine has been described as part of the EU FP7 project LEANWIND in order to facilitate research into logistics and naval architecture efficiencies for future offshore wind installations. The design of this 8 MW reference wind turbine has been checked and validated by the design consultancy DNV-GL. This turbine description is intended to bridge the gap between the NREL 5 MW and DTU 10 MW reference turbines and thus contribute to the standardisation of research and development activities in the offshore wind energy industry

Model and visualise the relationship between energy consumption and temperature distribution in cold rooms

In the area of food and pharmacy cold storage, temperature distribution is considered as a key factor. Inappropriate distribution of temperature during the cooling process in cold rooms will cause the deterioration of the quality of products and therefore shorten their life-span. In practice, in order to maintain the distribution of temperature at an appropriate level, large amount of electrical energy has to be consumed to cool down the volume of space, based on the reading of a single temperature sensor placed in every cold room. However, it is not clear and visible that what is the change of energy consumption and temperature distribution over time. It lacks of effective tools to visualise such a phenomenon. In this poster, we initially present a solution which combines a visualisation tool with a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model together to enable users to explore such phenomenon

Modelling uncertainty in t-RANS simulations of thermally stratified forest canopy flows for wind energy studies

The flow over densely forested terrain under neutral and non-neutral conditions is considered using commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Results are validated against data from a site in Northeastern France. It is shown that the effects of both neutral and stable atmospheric stratifications can be modelled numerically using state of the art methodologies whilst unstable stratifications will require further consideration. The sensitivity of the numerical model to parameters such as canopy height and canopy density is assessed and it is shown that atmospheric stability is the prevailing source of modelling uncertainty for the study

The Assessment of Water Surface Elevation Uncertainty in a Hydraulics Laboratory

Physical model testing forms a critical part of the development process for offshore renewable energy (ORE) technologies. Devices and structures generally follow a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) development pathway which has nine steps ranging from the initial idea (TRL1) to commercialisation (TRL9). In ORE, technologies are tested extensively in laboratory environments up to TRL4 after which a decision is made as to whether a particular technology has sufficient potential to justify moving to open sea environments where the costs can be much higher. Therefore, physical model testing plays a critical role in the development process and in recent years increased emphasis has been placed on improving quality procedures and implementing best practice methodologies. The International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have been developing testing standards whilst European Union funded projects such as Equimar, MaRINET and MaRINET2 have been working with testing infrastructures in developing a more uniform approach to testing. However, a standardised approach to the assessment of uncertainty in physical testing has yet to emerge. This paper focuses on and estimates the variation associated with wave elevation measurements using conductive wave probes in a hydraulics laboratory, a key input in all physical testing analysis

Access to a floating wind turbine

The offshore wind turbine service industry is now well established with a large number of turbines being successfully operated and maintained. A number of methods and technologies are available to allow the safe transfer of service crews to these primarily fixed monopile installations. The most common of these is the bow transfer method which uses a combination of a high friction fender and a large vessel thrust to minimise relative motion between the bow and the turbine foundation. An upcoming challenge for the offshore wind turbine service industry will be the increasing use of floating foundations in far offshore and deep water sites. A number of structures are currently being developed and the first commercial floating wind farm is expected to be commissioned in late 2017. The use of floating structures will make it more difficult to ensure crew safety and comfort during transfer operations as the interaction between two floating bodies needs to be considered. Thus, the bow transfer method used to access fixed foundations may not be suitable for accessing floating turbine platforms. This paper will use a combination of physical and numerical modelling to assess the ability of a wind farm service vessel to maintain contact with a floating offshore wind turbine structure by use of the bow transfer method