| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/P030645/1 |
| Title: |
MARLIN Modular Floating Platform for Offshore Wind : Concept Assessment |
| Principal Investigator: |
Blackwell, Professor PL |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Design Manufacture and Engineering Man |
| Organisation: |
University of Strathclyde |
| Scheme: |
Technology Programme |
| Starts: |
01 February 2017 |
Ends: |
31 October 2017 |
Value (£): |
80,640
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Energy - Marine & Hydropower |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Project MARLIN will assess and develop a new concept for a modular floating platform system for offshore wind. The
project will confirm technical and commercial feasibility of the novel method of construction and deployment of floating
structures capable of supporting commercially relevant size wind turbines from ISO standard freight container-sized
modules. Current demonstrator concepts in floating offshore wind require infrastructure of the scale unavailable or
inaccessible in most of the world. Cost reductions needed to remove barriers to floating offshore adoption will come from
development of methods not requiring large infrastructure and use of cost-effective mass manufacturing methods for
making the construction modules.
The proposed modular approach, with specially designed smaller and lighter building modules that could be towed out to
sea for assembly, is significantly technically different from the current concepts and demonstrators. The concept will
resolve the issue of prohibitively high cost of construction, logistics, and deployment in floating offshore wind.
The main overarching research objective is to design the modules and the full structure, test those out as mathematical and
physical models, carry out wave tank and sea conditions testing, and development of the manufacturing method. The
project will deliver: design of a low-cost single module building block structure, design of a full modular configurable
structure, creating physical and mathematical models, tank tests and sea test of physical models, analysis of manufacturing
feasibility including a materials selection study and identification of coastal sites and new markets for adoption of the
technology.
Two of the University of Strathclyde engineering departments, AFRC and NAOME, will work together with the other
members of the consortium.
NAOME's role within the consortium is to develop a detailed hydrodynamic simulation model of the semi-submersible
concept for two different types of floating modules - a passive one and a dynamic one which can have its buoyancy and
orientation altered. Scaled models of the two module concepts under a range of different sea states representative of
where the wind turbines will be deployed will be conducted. The results will be measured and analysed and a report
provided to the lead partner on the findings from both tests and simulations.
AFRC's role is to develop a finite element (FE) model for the initial and refined modules, to determine their suitability in
terms of structural strength performance under different load cases. Once the best configuration for the module has been
determined, the AFRC will develop a FE model for two different configurations of the final structural assembly made with
the selected module and simulate the performance of the overall structures. A report will be provided, summarising the
findings. Due to the complexity of the project, the geographical spread of the partners and the close collaborative nature of
the project, AFRC will also support Frontier Technical in the management of the project.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.strath.ac.uk |