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Hydrodynamic Performance Optimization of Trimaran Vessels for Offshore Wind Operations and Maintenance

Project description

Engineering the future of offshore turbine maintenance

EAs offshore wind farms are set up further and further out to sea, maintaining turbines in rough water conditions is a costly logistical challenge. It requires support vessels to remain stable and efficient near the massive foundations. This is necessary to keep energy prices down. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the OTOM project aims to redesign trimaran maintenance vessels, which are inherently stable. The layout of these three-hulled ships, however, has not been fully perfected for the unique demands of offshore wind. OTOM will optimise outrigger placement, ensuring peak performance in unpredictable waves. By fine-tuning these designs, the project makes offshore operations safer and more affordable, directly supporting the transition to sustainable energy.

Objective

Due to rapid global development of offshore wind, challenges of ensuring high efficiency in operations and maintenance (O&M) for offshore wind turbines become prominent in reducing the levelized cost of energy. Trimaran vessels, known for their high-performance characteristics including exceptional speed, seakeeping and spacious deck areas, give advantages in performing the O&M activities effectively. Current research on the hydrodynamic performance of the trimarans primarily focuses on conventional applications without considering their practical utility related to offshore wind O&M activities. When the trimarans approaching the wind turbine substructures, unique hydrodynamic characteristics of the vessels needs to be understood to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the maintenance operations. To date, for offshore wind O&M applications, there is no existing detailed hydrodynamic study concerning the optimization of the outrigger layout for the trimarans. Thus, a computationally efficient hydrodynamic optimization method based on Harmonic Polynomial Cell (HPC) method will be developed in this project. The developed method will then be validated against Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations. By utilizing Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) as a multi-objective optimization algorithm in conjunction with Back Propagation (BP) Neural Network, an outrigger layout optimization method will be tailored for the trimaran O&M vessels under different operational conditions. During the fellowship, I will employ interdisciplinary approaches for my studies, such as the applications of the HPC method in calculating multi-body hydrodynamic problems, CFD simulations in validating the developed solver and the BP neural network method in improving the multi-objective optimization efficiency. This will effectively improve my research capability and facilitate the developed optimization solver for the applications in offshore wind O&M activities.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITETET I STAVANGER
Net EU contribution
€ 283 438,80
Address
KJELL ARHOLMS GATE 41
4021 Stavanger
Norway
Region
Norge Vestlandet Rogaland
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
No data

Partners (2)