pre333 - Ocean Energy Systems Technologies (Complete module description)

At the completion of this module, the student will:
- be familiar with the state of the art of electro-mechanical power take-off equipment used in wave energy converters and marine current turbines;
- be familiar with mooring and anchoring systems;
- be familiar with the design and configuration of farms;
- be capable to distinguish the different components and designs of offshore electrical grids;
- acquire basic knowledge on the requirements to deploy, operate and maintain the wave and current energy system;
- be aware of maritime safety issues.

- Principle of operation and components of air turbines, water turbines, high-pressure hydraulic systems, linear and rotating electrical generators, and energy storage in ocean energy.
- Classification of offshore structures; loads, cost and materials of mooring and anchoring systems; description of anchoring and foundations systems; taut and slack-mooring systems; and mooring configurations in arrays.
- Principles of interference of WEC arrays and layout optimization methods.
- Analysis of tidal turbines arrays.
- Offshore electrical grid structure and components, cable technologies, electrical designs (HVDC vs AC), interaction with the local electricity network, integration into the National grid, examples/case studies.
- Routine and non-routine offshore operations; management systems; maintenance procedures, risk assessment and inspection plans; and case studies.
- Introduction to offshore operations; vessels, equipment and personnel; method planning and permitting; principles, legislation and standards of safety management.
Laboratory:
- Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Mechanical Engineering Department of IST: Testing of an air turbine for use in OWC systems. (Duration 3 h).
- Electrical Machinery Laboratory of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of IST: laboratory practice on electrical generators. (Duration 3 h).

A. Sayigh: Comprehensive Renewable Energy: Ocean Energy. Elsevier, 2012.
J. Cruz: Ocean Wave Energy: Current Status and Future Perspectives, 2008.
S. Chakrabarti: Handbook of offshore engineering. Elsevier, Vol. 2, 2005.
Carbon Trust: Guidelines on design and operation of wave energy converters, 2005.
EMEC: Guidelines for Health and Safety in the Marine Energy Industry, 2008.
R. E. Harris et al: Mooring systems for wave energy converters: A review of design issues and choices.
B. Child: On the configuration of arrays of floating wave energy converters. PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2011.
I. Alegría et al: Transmission alternatives for offshore electrical power. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13, 1027–1038, 2009.
K. Thorburn et al: Wave energy transmission system concepts for linear generator arrays. Ocean Engineering 31, 1339–1349, 2004.

Exam week (mid-June)

Written exam (3 hours)