Harnessing the power of oceans: anchors for floating energy devices. This project aims to establish a geotechnical design framework for shared anchoring systems subjected to multidirectional cyclic loading for large integrated arrays of floating wind turbines and floating wave energy converters. This is expected to facilitate new, economic foundation solutions, generating radical cost savings to help unlock Australia's renewable ocean energy resources. The project aims to utilise a blend of stat ....Harnessing the power of oceans: anchors for floating energy devices. This project aims to establish a geotechnical design framework for shared anchoring systems subjected to multidirectional cyclic loading for large integrated arrays of floating wind turbines and floating wave energy converters. This is expected to facilitate new, economic foundation solutions, generating radical cost savings to help unlock Australia's renewable ocean energy resources. The project aims to utilise a blend of state-of-the-art centrifuge modelling techniques and numerical modelling, incorporating an energy-based method and yield envelopes. This innovative methodology aims to establish a validated framework for understanding and predicting foundation performance under the complex load histories arising in renewable ocean energy applications.Read moreRead less
Solutions for rapid penetration into sand for offshore energy installations. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the response of saturated sand in seabeds during rapid penetration by offshore site investigation tools and foundation construction. The research is using innovative physical and advanced numerical modelling techniques to quantify the significant increase in sand resistance caused by rapid penetration, enabling reliable design and reducing risk of material fail ....Solutions for rapid penetration into sand for offshore energy installations. This project aims to develop a fundamental understanding of the response of saturated sand in seabeds during rapid penetration by offshore site investigation tools and foundation construction. The research is using innovative physical and advanced numerical modelling techniques to quantify the significant increase in sand resistance caused by rapid penetration, enabling reliable design and reducing risk of material failure associated with the high impact forces. Expected outcomes of the project include a conceptual framework and scientific-based design tool to predict the geotechnical performance of offshore installations. The research will provide the necessary scientific advances to install, moor and service offshore wind and wave energy devices more economically and efficiently.Read moreRead less
Improving the security of anchoring systems under extreme cyclones. This project aims to investigate the behaviour of anchoring systems under cyclonic loading and to innovate anchor designs to improve their security during extreme cyclones. Anchoring systems are increasingly playing the vital role of securing floating structures to extract ocean energies, but the current empirical knowledge and design method hinder confidence in engineering application. This project expects to advance the fundam ....Improving the security of anchoring systems under extreme cyclones. This project aims to investigate the behaviour of anchoring systems under cyclonic loading and to innovate anchor designs to improve their security during extreme cyclones. Anchoring systems are increasingly playing the vital role of securing floating structures to extract ocean energies, but the current empirical knowledge and design method hinder confidence in engineering application. This project expects to advance the fundamental scientific understanding of the geotechnical mechanism of anchors under cyclonic loading using innovative experimental and advanced numerical modelling. Outcomes will include quality first-hand data contributing to the knowledge base, innovative anchor designs and new scientific based design guidelines.Read moreRead less
Are ocean storms impacting Australia becoming more severe? This project aims to improve our understanding of the severe ocean storms that impact Australia. The novel approach will make use of multiple decades of the background 'noise', recorded continuously by earthquake seismic observatories, to locate and analyse ocean storms through time and identify changes in storm tracks. An interdisciplinary interpretation will follow which combines the large body of new results from seismology with data ....Are ocean storms impacting Australia becoming more severe? This project aims to improve our understanding of the severe ocean storms that impact Australia. The novel approach will make use of multiple decades of the background 'noise', recorded continuously by earthquake seismic observatories, to locate and analyse ocean storms through time and identify changes in storm tracks. An interdisciplinary interpretation will follow which combines the large body of new results from seismology with data from oceanography and meteorology. Significant advancement in our knowledge of severe storms will benefit Australia by indicating whether such storms are becoming more severe or, alternatively, if storm patterns are shifting.Read moreRead less
Predicting environmental extremes in a period of climate change. This project has the potential to reduce the uncertainty in the predictions of extreme winds and waves used to design and operate coastal and offshore facilities. Predictions are typically achieved by extrapolating recorded data to predict probable extremes. The uncertainties associated with this approach are very large. This project aims to develop a new approach called ‘large ensemble aggregate’ analysis, which brings together da ....Predicting environmental extremes in a period of climate change. This project has the potential to reduce the uncertainty in the predictions of extreme winds and waves used to design and operate coastal and offshore facilities. Predictions are typically achieved by extrapolating recorded data to predict probable extremes. The uncertainties associated with this approach are very large. This project aims to develop a new approach called ‘large ensemble aggregate’ analysis, which brings together data from alternative model predictions or alternative measurement locations to expand the effective data and avoid the necessity for statistical extrapolation. This approach may significantly reduce the uncertainty in estimating extreme values. This would reduce the cost of constructing coastal and offshore facilities and decrease the risk of catastrophic failure.Read moreRead less
Flow generation on the water surface. This project focuses on the efficient use of the energy of surface waves. It has been found recently that energy of surface waves can be converted and stored in the horizontal water motion near the surface. This project aims to develop new technologies to harness wave energy, including a novel method of accumulating the energy of random waves into a stationary surface flow and novel methods of manipulating floating objects by sending surface waves. This may ....Flow generation on the water surface. This project focuses on the efficient use of the energy of surface waves. It has been found recently that energy of surface waves can be converted and stored in the horizontal water motion near the surface. This project aims to develop new technologies to harness wave energy, including a novel method of accumulating the energy of random waves into a stationary surface flow and novel methods of manipulating floating objects by sending surface waves. This may help to stop the spread of surface pollutants or attract floating objects by sending waves towards them, and may help us to understand how rip currents are formed on the beach.Read moreRead less
A direct drive linear tube generator for ocean wave energy conversion. This project aims to investigate a direct drive linear electromagnetic generator system for the maximum wave energy conversion and frequency bandwidth. This system has a translator of a multiple degree of freedom non-linear oscillator system built with the Halbach ring array pattern and ferro-fluid bearings. To establish wave energy conversion science, this project will investigate the device, its integration with a buoy stru ....A direct drive linear tube generator for ocean wave energy conversion. This project aims to investigate a direct drive linear electromagnetic generator system for the maximum wave energy conversion and frequency bandwidth. This system has a translator of a multiple degree of freedom non-linear oscillator system built with the Halbach ring array pattern and ferro-fluid bearings. To establish wave energy conversion science, this project will investigate the device, its integration with a buoy structure under wave loadings and automatic control of power conversion and conditioning. The outcome could meet demands for wave energy conversion technologies that reduce power generation cost and emissions, benefiting the Australian economy and environment.Read moreRead less