New Silent Anchors for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in Calcareous Sand . Reliable wind energy sites are in deeper waters and require offshore floating structures to harness the wind energy. Such floating structures require a reliable anchoring system that is secure and environmentally friendly. Calcareous sands, rich in carbonate content, pose unique challenges with their behaviour difficult to predict. In this project, a novel silent anchoring system is investigated that can be installed wit ....New Silent Anchors for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in Calcareous Sand . Reliable wind energy sites are in deeper waters and require offshore floating structures to harness the wind energy. Such floating structures require a reliable anchoring system that is secure and environmentally friendly. Calcareous sands, rich in carbonate content, pose unique challenges with their behaviour difficult to predict. In this project, a novel silent anchoring system is investigated that can be installed with minimum noise and vibration compared to more traditional counterparts. Through the state of the art development in numerical modelling and centrifuge modelling, this project will advance Australian Science and Practice in designing floating wind turbines in carbonate rich soils offshore and help energy transition.Read moreRead less
Efficiently unlocking full-scale WEC dynamics for industry cost reduction. This project will reduce the cost of ocean wave energy, by uniting leading expertise from academia with cutting-edge know-how and full-scale data from industry to advance the way oceanic forces on wave energy converters are represented in industry models. These models are critical for designing and controlling the next generation of wave energy converters, which have larger motions than ever before. Carefully tested model ....Efficiently unlocking full-scale WEC dynamics for industry cost reduction. This project will reduce the cost of ocean wave energy, by uniting leading expertise from academia with cutting-edge know-how and full-scale data from industry to advance the way oceanic forces on wave energy converters are represented in industry models. These models are critical for designing and controlling the next generation of wave energy converters, which have larger motions than ever before. Carefully tested models will lead to better estimates of power production and loads, which will drive down the cost of wave energy and enable its large-scale utilisation. Broad communication of benefits and sharing of new knowledge will accelerate commercialisation of ocean energy in Australia and pave the way to meeting our future energy needs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101478
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,998.00
Summary
Design Waves: a new basis for safer and more efficient offshore systems. This project will overcome a fundamental issue at the heart of ocean engineering design, impacting our oil, gas and renewables industries. Ocean waves are random, yet the best design tools for wave-structure interaction (model testing and computational fluid dynamics) require short, precisely-defined wave sequences. This project will establish a paradigm shift, bridging this gap via a new unified Design Wave methodology dev ....Design Waves: a new basis for safer and more efficient offshore systems. This project will overcome a fundamental issue at the heart of ocean engineering design, impacting our oil, gas and renewables industries. Ocean waves are random, yet the best design tools for wave-structure interaction (model testing and computational fluid dynamics) require short, precisely-defined wave sequences. This project will establish a paradigm shift, bridging this gap via a new unified Design Wave methodology developed for a diverse set of offshore systems, each with different criticalities. The new methodology will fuse advanced techniques in fluid mechanics, statistics and applied maths. The outcomes will create reductions in uncertainty and improvements in design and safety for facilities such as wind farms and gas platforms.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100545
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,887.00
Summary
Developing a deployment-ready robust controller for wave energy converters. This project aims to improve the economic viability of wave energy converters that convert the power of ocean waves into electricity. It will develop deployment-ready control systems which will effectively predict, model and respond to wave activity, maximising energy production and resulting in an overall reduction in the cost of renewable energy.
The fundamental knowledge gained will increase the technology readiness ....Developing a deployment-ready robust controller for wave energy converters. This project aims to improve the economic viability of wave energy converters that convert the power of ocean waves into electricity. It will develop deployment-ready control systems which will effectively predict, model and respond to wave activity, maximising energy production and resulting in an overall reduction in the cost of renewable energy.
The fundamental knowledge gained will increase the technology readiness of wave energy and drive the next generation of wave energy converters by improving their commercial viability. This project is an opportunity for Australia to become a world leader in the global transformation towards clean and affordable low-carbon technologies for domestic and global markets.
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Controlling coastlines while generating power. The Project aims to produce strategies for protecting coasts from storms using farms of wave-energy machines, which also generate electricity. Increasing lengths of coast need protection as the climate changes, but conventional barriers create permanent environmental impacts and are a sunk cost usually borne by the taxpayer. The Project expects to derive a strategy for the setting of each machine in the farm, so that they collectively absorb or refl ....Controlling coastlines while generating power. The Project aims to produce strategies for protecting coasts from storms using farms of wave-energy machines, which also generate electricity. Increasing lengths of coast need protection as the climate changes, but conventional barriers create permanent environmental impacts and are a sunk cost usually borne by the taxpayer. The Project expects to derive a strategy for the setting of each machine in the farm, so that they collectively absorb or reflect damaging waves under severe conditions. Under normal conditions, enough wave energy to sustain environmental processes would pass through. Sales of electricity would help to pay back the capital cost. Outcomes would include reduced coastal-erosion costs and a low-intermittency energy supply.Read moreRead less
Modelling, Design and Development of a Novel Wave-Energy Converter. Australia has an abundant source of wave-energy commercially untapped due to technical limitations of current wave-energy devices. This project aims to develop a novel wave-energy converter (WEC) that integrates energy capture and electricity generation through a single mechanism. This novel WEC can overcome or significantly reduce the drawbacks of existing WECs, is compact and light-weight (about 30 times less), ensures surviva ....Modelling, Design and Development of a Novel Wave-Energy Converter. Australia has an abundant source of wave-energy commercially untapped due to technical limitations of current wave-energy devices. This project aims to develop a novel wave-energy converter (WEC) that integrates energy capture and electricity generation through a single mechanism. This novel WEC can overcome or significantly reduce the drawbacks of existing WECs, is compact and light-weight (about 30 times less), ensures survivability, and has low-cost installation and maintenance. The project expects to deliver novel theoretical results in fluid-structure interaction, control systems and electrical conversion for WECs and other applications. The WEC will be demonstrated via a tested proof-of-concept physical model.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100059
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,007.00
Summary
Robust Renewables Hosting Capacity Enhancement for Distribution Networks. This project aims to quantify technical margins and devise novel robust renewables hosting capacity enhancement methods for active distribution networks. High renewables penetration has impaired power quality and network operational reliability, thus reducing renewables utilisation rate and impeding further installation. The intended outcomes are innovative data-driven robustness design methods against complex and uncertai ....Robust Renewables Hosting Capacity Enhancement for Distribution Networks. This project aims to quantify technical margins and devise novel robust renewables hosting capacity enhancement methods for active distribution networks. High renewables penetration has impaired power quality and network operational reliability, thus reducing renewables utilisation rate and impeding further installation. The intended outcomes are innovative data-driven robustness design methods against complex and uncertain operating conditions, which are able to secure increasing renewables penetration and installation. With emerging community battery and hydrogen electrolyser, a suite of operation and planning methods will be developed, allowing utility operators and government agencies to expedite zero-emission energy transition.Read moreRead less
Stability Analysis of Power System with Massive Power Electronic Devices. The decarbonization of Australia's power systems is to integrate massive renewable energy sources which are interfaced with many power electronic devices (PEDs). The fast and complex dynamics of PEDs have significantly changed the nature of the power system, which limits the applicability of existing tools and methods to assess its stability. The goal of this project is to gain a comprehensive insight into the stability of ....Stability Analysis of Power System with Massive Power Electronic Devices. The decarbonization of Australia's power systems is to integrate massive renewable energy sources which are interfaced with many power electronic devices (PEDs). The fast and complex dynamics of PEDs have significantly changed the nature of the power system, which limits the applicability of existing tools and methods to assess its stability. The goal of this project is to gain a comprehensive insight into the stability of a futuristic power system with high penetration of PEDs. The intended outcomes will be a model and data jointly driven methodology for high-efficient and real-time stability assessment. The methodology developed in this project will support Australia's transition to a stable, secure, and low-carbon power grid.Read moreRead less
Resilient design of energy pile foundations toward zero carbon buildings. This project aims to investigate the complex thermo-hydro mechanical interactions affecting the effectiveness of energy pile foundations for improved energy efficiency of new buildings. Using cutting-edge micro to field-scale methods, this project expects to underpin the development of experimentally validated predictions of the geotechnical performance of energy piles. Expected outcomes of this project are the establishme ....Resilient design of energy pile foundations toward zero carbon buildings. This project aims to investigate the complex thermo-hydro mechanical interactions affecting the effectiveness of energy pile foundations for improved energy efficiency of new buildings. Using cutting-edge micro to field-scale methods, this project expects to underpin the development of experimentally validated predictions of the geotechnical performance of energy piles. Expected outcomes of this project are the establishment of new approaches to improve the resilient design of energy pile foundations, provision of new recommendations for their design and increased integration for zero carbon buildings. These outcomes will contribute significantly toward strategies to decarbonise energy systems in buildings to meet carbon neutrality goals.Read moreRead less
International Travel Bursary - Elspeth Macdonald's (Scottish Fishermen's Federation) Experience With Spatial Management And The Renewable Energy Sector
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$29,700.00
Summary
Elspeth Macdonald, the CEO of Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), is a key advocate for the fishing industry and has critical knowledge and experience with the spatial squeeze and the emerging offshore renewable energy sector. As such, WAFIC and the South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s’ Association recognises an opportunity for the fishing industry and government representatives to share and learn from Scotland’s experiences. Through this exchange of knowledge, we hope to g ....Elspeth Macdonald, the CEO of Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), is a key advocate for the fishing industry and has critical knowledge and experience with the spatial squeeze and the emerging offshore renewable energy sector. As such, WAFIC and the South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s’ Association recognises an opportunity for the fishing industry and government representatives to share and learn from Scotland’s experiences. Through this exchange of knowledge, we hope to guide the development of Australian policy frameworks that encourage co-existence with commercial fisheries.
Tentatively, we are planning for Mrs Macdonald to arrive in Perth to attend high-level State Ministerial and State and Commonwealth Government meetings, before travelling to Adelaide to be a keynote speaker at the Rock Lobster Trans-Tasman Conference arranged by the South Australian Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishermen’s’ Association and then attend a National Coordination Ocean Access Committee meeting coordinated by Seafood Industry Australia. Other potential opportunities may also be identified and discussed in the months leading up to Mrs Macdonald’s arrival. Read moreRead less