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The offshore renewable energy industry has been developing farms of floating offshore wind turbines in water depths up to 100 m. In Vietnam, floating offshore wind turbines have been developed to increase the production of clean and sustainable energy. The mooring system, which is used to keep the turbine stable and ensure the safety and economic efficiency of wind power production, is an important part of a floating offshore wind turbine. Appropriate selection of the mooring type and mooring line material can reduce the risks arising from the motion of wind turbines. Different types of mooring line material have been simulated and compared in order to determine the optimal type with the minimum motion risk for a floating wind turbine. This study focused on numerical modeling of semi-taut mooring systems using nonlinear materials for a semi-submersible wind turbine. Several modeling approaches common to current practice were applied. Hydrodynamic analysis was performed to investigate the motion of the response amplitude operators of the floating wind turbine. Dynamic analysis of mooring systems was performed using a time domain to obtain the tension responses of mooring lines under the ultimate limit states and fatigue limit states in Vietnamese sea conditions. The results showed that the use of nonlinear materials (polyester and/or nylon) for mooring systems can minimize the movement of the turbine and save costs. The use of synthetic fibers can reduce the maximum tension in mooring lines and the length of mooring lines. However, synthetic fiber ropes showed highly nonlinear load elongation properties, which were difficult to simulate using numerical software. The comparison of the characteristics of polyester and nylon mooring lines showed that the maximum and mean tensions of the nylon line were less than those of the polyester line. In addition, the un-stretched length of the polyester line was greater than that of the nylon line under the same mean tension load. Therefore, nylon material is recommended for the mooring lines of a floating offshore wind turbine.

The wind is one of the most important sources of renewable energy. However, it is associated with many challenges, with one of the most notable being determining suitable locations for wind power farms based on different evaluation criteria. In this study, we investigated the suitability of wind farm sites in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and a Geographic Information System (GIS). We assessed the suitability of offshore locations for wind energy projects, differentiating between fixed and floating turbines, and identified a 4180 km2 area as less suitable, whereas the 33,094 km2, 20,618 km2, and 11,077 km2 areas were deemed suitable, very suitable, and extremely suitable, respectively. These findings highlight the differences in suitability levels based on specific geographical features. Moreover, the extremely suitable location, which has the largest area of 3032 km2, has the capacity to generate an annual energy output of 56,965,410 MWh/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helical piles are being increasingly considered for offshore applications as they avoid the acoustic emissions associated with pile driving, and they provide additional capacity relative to a driven pile. In this paper, the installation and tensile capacity of helical piles is considered through a combination of centrifuge experiments and large-deformation finite-element analyses within a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian framework. The experiments provide a basis for validating the numerical simulations, but also quantify the expected installation torque and undrained tensile capacity, including the variation with time after installation. The numerical simulations extend the parameter space investigated experimentally, considering the number of helices, their spacing and pitch, in addition to the ratio of pile shaft to helix diameter and the profile of undrained shear strength. Mechanisms revealed through the numerical simulations are reflected in a new analytical model for calculating undrained tensile capacity, which is seen to agree reasonably well with the numerically and experimentally determined capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates various quasi‐static mechanical properties of an in‐situ polymerizable thermoplastic and a bio‐based thermosetting composite comprising of non‐crimp fabric reinforcement for potential use in the next generation of Offshore Wind and Tidal Power platforms. Mechanical properties are characterized under tensile, flexural, in‐plane shear and interlaminar shear loading. Results reveal that the evaluated properties differ based upon matrix type. Fractographic evidence from scanning electron microscopy is used to explain the differences observed and was generally consistent in terms of revealing cohesive failure at the fiber‐matrix interface for the thermoplastic composite and contrasting adhesive failure for the thermosetting composite. For glass fiber reinforcement, the thermoplastic composite is superior in terms of flexural 90° properties (+20%) while the thermosetting composite performed better in flexure 0° in terms of both strength (+15%) and modulus (+25%). In terms of interlaminar shear, the thermosetting composite exhibited higher strength (+14%) while Tensile and in‐plane shear properties are similar for composites of both resin systems. Overall, neither composite is superior in terms of overall mechanical properties and both matrices show promise as a stepping stone towards the use of more sustainable constituents in offshore structures. Highlights: Quasi‐static mechanical performance and failure analysis of relatively sustainable composites are presented.Failure analysis indicate cohesive failure of the thermoplastic based composite and interfacial failure of the thermosetting based composite.Proposed composites are benchmarked against the composites manufactured using conventional resins.Overall, both matrices show promise as a stepping stone towards more sustainable offshore structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many industries are required to perform population viability analysis (PVA) during the consenting process for new developments to establish potential impacts on protected populations. However, these assessments rarely account for density‐dependent regulation of demographic rates. Excluding density‐dependent regulation from PVA‐based impact assessments is often assumed to provide a maximum estimate of impact and therefore offer a precautionary approach to assessment. However, there is also concern that this practice may unnecessarily impede the development of important industries, such as offshore renewable energy.In this study, we assess density‐dependent regulation of breeding success in 31 populations of seabird. We then quantify the strength and form of this regulation using eight different formulations. Finally, we use PVA to examine how each formulation influences the recreation of observed dynamics (i.e. model validation), as well as the predicted absolute and relative population response to an extrinsic threat (i.e. model projection).We found evidence of both negative (n = 3) and positive (n = 5) regulation of seabird breeding success. In populations exhibiting negative regulation, excluding density‐dependent regulation from PVA‐based impact assessment allowed uncontrolled population growth, such that model outcomes became biologically implausible. By contrast, in populations exhibiting positive regulation, excluding density‐dependent regulation provided an appropriate reconstruction of observed dynamics, but population decline was underestimated in some populations. We find that multiple formulations of density dependence perform comparably at the detection, validation and projection stages of analysis. However, we tentatively recommend using a log‐linear or Weibull distribution to describe density‐dependent regulation of seabird breeding success in impact assessments to balance accuracy with caution. Finally, we show that relative PVA metrics of impact assessment cannot necessarily be used to overcome PVA misspecification by assuming density independence in positively regulated populations.Synthesis and applications: We suggest that a density‐dependent approach when performing PVA‐based assessments for seabird populations will prevent biologically unrealistic, unconstrained population growth and therefore ensure meaningful PVA metrics in populations experiencing negative regulation. It will also maintain a precautionary approach for populations experiencing positive regulation, crucial when estimating impacts for these more vulnerable populations. These conclusions have immediate international application within the consenting processes for marine industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore solar is seen as a promising technology for renewable energy generation. It can be particularly valuable when co-located within offshore wind farms, as these forms of energy generation are complementary. However, the environmental impact of offshore solar is not fully understood yet, and obtaining a better understanding of the possible impact is essential before this technology is applied at a large scale. An important aspect which is still unclear is how offshore solar affects the local hydrodynamics in the marine environment. This article describes the hydrodynamic wake generated by an offshore solar array, arising from the interaction between the array and a tidal current. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling approach was used, which applies numerical large eddy simulations (LES) in OpenFOAM. The simulations are verified using the numerical model TUDFLOW3D. The study quantifies the wake dimensions and puts them in perspective with the array size, orientation, and tidal current magnitude. The investigation reveals that wake width depends on array size and array orientation. When the array is aligned with the current, wake width is relatively confined and does not depend on the array size. When the array is rotated, the wake width experiences exponential growth, becoming approximately 30% wider than the array width. Wake length is influenced by factors such as horizontal array dimensions and current magnitude. The gaps in between the floaters decrease this dependency. Similarly, the wake depth showed similar dependencies, except for the current magnitude, and only affected the upper meters of the water column. Beneath the array, flow shedding effects occur, affecting a larger part of the water column than the wake. Flow shedding depends on floater size, gaps, and orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, considering the air methodology, an axisymmetric model was developed, validated, and calibrated for the numerical simulation of an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) converter subjected to a realistic sea state, representative of the Cassino beach, in the south of Brazil. To do so, the Finite Volume Method (FVM) was used, through the Fluent software (Version 18.1), for the airflow inside the hydro-pneumatic chamber and turbine duct of the OWC. Furthermore, the influence of geometric parameters on the available power of the OWC converter was evaluated through Constructal Design combined with Exhaustive Search. For this, a search space with 100 geometric configurations for the hydro-pneumatic chamber was defined by means of the variation in two degrees of freedom: the ratio between the height and diameter of the hydro-pneumatic chamber (H1/L1) and the ratio between the height and diameter of the smallest base of the connection, whose surface of revolution has a trapezoidal shape, between the hydro-pneumatic chamber and the turbine duct (H2/L2). The ratio between the height and diameter of the turbine duct (H3/L3) was kept constant. The results indicated that the highest available power of the converter was achieved by the lowest values of H1/L1 and highest values of H2/L2, with the optimal case being obtained by H1/L1 = 0.1 and H2/L2 = 0.81, achieving a power 839 times greater than the worst case. The values found are impractical in real devices, making it necessary to limit the power of the converters to 500 kW to make this assessment closer to reality; thus, the highest power obtained was 15.5 times greater than that found in the worst case, these values being consistent with other studies developed. As a theoretical recommendation for practical purposes, one can infer that the ratio H1/L1 has a greater influence over the OWC's available power than the ratio H2/L2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe focus is now on sustainable development, which is inevitable without harnessing renewable energy sources. The fundamental element in wind wave generation is the interaction between air and sea which helps in momentum exchange between atmosphere and ocean. The Indian coastline is under a dynamic wave climate with the action of wind. Indian landmass has two tropical basins, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, which have tremendous potential to tap renewable energy. The variations in wave climate due to dynamic-wind have to be assessed. Hindcast data obtained from Global Climate Models help us in the long-term analysis of wind and wave climate. In an attempt to explore the renewable energy potential along the Indian coast, a numerical wave model is developed using MIKE 21 SW module to assess the wind and wave climate. A gridded global wind speed dataset from ECMWF called ERA-Interim wind speed data of 38 years (1981 to 2018) is used as input for the numerical model. The dataset and numerical model performance were validated against in-situ measurements. The results showed amongst the locations studied off Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh had good potential to extract offshore wind energy using offshore wind turbines.

Scour is one of the most serious challenges affecting the normal operation of offshore wind power. Whether measures for scour protection are effective directly affects the safety and economical efficiency of offshore wind farms. Data mining techniques and analytical tools based on monitoring data analysis play a critical role in making appropriate strategic decisions. Post-protection scour inspection was regularly monitored on a typical offshore wind farm containing 72 turbines installed with monopile foundations thrice over the course of two years. Geospatial properties of scour, including maximum scour depth (MSD), maximum scour extension and scouring and siltation volume, were analysed in detail. The possible autocorrelation of scour data measured for each turbine was identified using a data-driven decision making process. The characteristics of the investigated scour and their spatial dependence on the turbines of the inspected offshore wind farm generally showed an upward trend over time. A high–high area in the local geospatial dependency map of MSD was identified, and an equation was derived for predicting development of MSD. These findings show indications to reduce the operation and maintenance costs of offshore wind farms and improve the efficiency for upgrading scour protection on specific offshore wind foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive field investigations into the axial cyclic loading behaviour of open steel pipe piles driven and aged in low-to-medium-density chalk identify the conditions under which behaviour is stable, unstable or metastable. Post-cycling monotonic tests confirmed that stable cycling enhanced pile capacity marginally, while unstable cases suffered potentially large losses of shaft capacity. Metastable conditions led to intermediate outcomes. The patterns by which axial deflections grew under cyclic loading varied systematically with the normalised loading parameters and could be captured by simple fitting expressions. Cyclic stiffnesses also varied with loading conditions, with the highest operational shear stiffnesses falling far below the in situ seismic test values. The monotonic and cyclic axial responses of the test piles were controlled by the behaviour of, and conditions within, the reconsolidated, de-structured, chalk putty annuli formed around pile shafts during driving. Fibre-optic strain gauges identified progressive failure from the pile tip upwards. Large factors of safety were required for piles to survive repetitive loading under high-level, two-way conditions involving low mean loads, while low-amplitude one-way cycling had little impact. A simple 'global' prediction procedure employing interface shear and cyclic triaxial tests is shown to provide broadly representative predictions for field behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore green hydrogen emerges as a guiding light in the global pursuit of environmental sustainability and net-zero objectives. The burgeoning expansion of offshore wind power faces significant challenges in grid integration. This avenue towards generating offshore green hydrogen capitalises on its ecological advantages and substantial energy potential to efficiently channel offshore wind power for onshore energy demands. However, a substantial research void exists in efficiently integrating offshore wind electricity and green hydrogen. Innovative designs of offshore hydrogen platforms present a promising solution to bridge the gap between offshore wind and hydrogen integration. Surprisingly, there is a lack of commercially established offshore platforms dedicated to the hydrogen industry. However, the wealth of knowledge from oil and gas platforms contributes valuable insights to hydrogen platform design. Diverging from the conventional decentralised hydrogen units catering to individual turbines, this study firstly introduces a pioneering centralised Offshore Green Hydrogen Platform (OGHP), which seamlessly integrates modular production, storage, and offloading modulars. The modular design of facilitates scalability as wind capacity increases. Through a detailed case study centred around a 100-Megawatt floating wind farm, the design process of offshore green hydrogen modulars and its floating sub-structure is elucidated. Stability analysis and hydrodynamic analysis are performed to ensure the safety of the OGHP under the operation conditions. The case study will enhance our understanding OGHP and its modularised components. The conceptual design of modular OGHP offers an alternative solution to "Power-to-X" for offshore renewable energy sector. • Discuss the potential of a centralised offshore hydrogen platform for offshore energy. • Firstly propose a modularised design for offshore green hydrogen platform. • Illustrate a 100-MW case study of modularised offshore hydrogen platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind energy is considered as one of the most promising resources of clean and renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. Additionally, its cost is expected to be lower than onshore wind energy as the technology matures. Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) normally operate in harsh ocean environments, which could impact their structural integrity. Scour erosion around foundations of OWTs can substantially change the overall stiffness of these structures and shorten their lifetime. Currently, there are a limited number of studies on countermeasures and their engineering requirements for decreasing the scouring effect; this is due to their different hydraulic circumstances, such as their stability, reliability, and resistance capacity. To this end, advancements in scour protection measures in the offshore energy sector are evaluated in this paper through a thorough and critical review following the PRISMA systematic literature mapping approach. This includes 68 papers on scour protection and over 30 scour protection designs for various types of wind turbine foundations. Here, we aim to provide an overview of the latest scouring protection measures and their comprehensive assessment, as well as their prospects and future challenges. The findings of this study will provide key insights into scour protection measures for OWTs and will subsequently contribute to the future growth of the offshore renewable energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore solar is seen as a promising technology for renewable energy generation. It can be particularly valuable when co-located within offshore wind farms, as these forms of energy generation are complementary. However, the environmental impact of offshore solar is not fully understood yet, and obtaining a better understanding of the possible impact is essential before this technology is applied at a large scale. An important aspect which is still unclear is how offshore solar affects the local hydrodynamics in the marine environment. This article describes the hydrodynamic wake generated by an offshore solar array, arising from the interaction between the array and a tidal current. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling approach was used, which applies numerical large eddy simulations (LES) in OpenFOAM. The simulations are verified using the numerical model TUDFLOW3D. The study quantifies the wake dimensions and puts them in perspective with the array size, orientation, and tidal current magnitude. The investigation reveals that wake width depends on array size and array orientation. When the array is aligned with the current, wake width is relatively confined and does not depend on the array size. When the array is rotated, the wake width experiences exponential growth, becoming approximately 30% wider than the array width. Wake length is influenced by factors such as horizontal array dimensions and current magnitude. The gaps in between the floaters decrease this dependency. Similarly, the wake depth showed similar dependencies, except for the current magnitude, and only affected the upper meters of the water column. Beneath the array, flow shedding effects occur, affecting a larger part of the water column than the wake. Flow shedding depends on floater size, gaps, and orientation.

In this research, considering the air methodology, an axisymmetric model was developed, validated, and calibrated for the numerical simulation of an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) converter subjected to a realistic sea state, representative of the Cassino beach, in the south of Brazil. To do so, the Finite Volume Method (FVM) was used, through the Fluent software (Version 18.1), for the airflow inside the hydro-pneumatic chamber and turbine duct of the OWC. Furthermore, the influence of geometric parameters on the available power of the OWC converter was evaluated through Constructal Design combined with Exhaustive Search. For this, a search space with 100 geometric configurations for the hydro-pneumatic chamber was defined by means of the variation in two degrees of freedom: the ratio between the height and diameter of the hydro-pneumatic chamber (H1/L1) and the ratio between the height and diameter of the smallest base of the connection, whose surface of revolution has a trapezoidal shape, between the hydro-pneumatic chamber and the turbine duct (H2/L2). The ratio between the height and diameter of the turbine duct (H3/L3) was kept constant. The results indicated that the highest available power of the converter was achieved by the lowest values of H1/L1 and highest values of H2/L2, with the optimal case being obtained by H1/L1 = 0.1 and H2/L2 = 0.81, achieving a power 839 times greater than the worst case. The values found are impractical in real devices, making it necessary to limit the power of the converters to 500 kW to make this assessment closer to reality; thus, the highest power obtained was 15.5 times greater than that found in the worst case, these values being consistent with other studies developed. As a theoretical recommendation for practical purposes, one can infer that the ratio H1/L1 has a greater influence over the OWC’s available power than the ratio H2/L2.

The focus of this paper is on the conceptual design of offshore multi wind turbine integrated floating foundation (MWF) and the strength analysis method of floating structures considering motion response. Firstly, the maximum environmental load and ultimate motion attitude of MWF were used as boundary conditions to solve the problem of imprecise constraint loads in traditional analysis methods. Then, a stress solving equation based on motion state and inertia release was established to solve the equivalent accuracy problem of floating body motion state. Finally, through theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental testing, it was found that the stress solution method considered the motion state of the floating body in this paper to be more accurate and reliable, with an error of less than 10% compared to the stress results of experimental testing. Improved calculation accuracy by 30%. These studies provide more accurate analytical methods and theoretical references for predicting the strength of floating structures in actual oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus is now on sustainable development, which is inevitable without harnessing renewable energy sources. The fundamental element in wind wave generation is the interaction between air and sea which helps in momentum exchange between atmosphere and ocean. The Indian coastline is under a dynamic wave climate with the action of wind. Indian landmass has two tropical basins, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, which have tremendous potential to tap renewable energy. The variations in wave climate due to dynamic-wind have to be assessed. Hindcast data obtained from Global Climate Models help us in the long-term analysis of wind and wave climate. In an attempt to explore the renewable energy potential along the Indian coast, a numerical wave model is developed using MIKE 21 SW module to assess the wind and wave climate. A gridded global wind speed dataset from ECMWF called ERA-Interim wind speed data of 38 years (1981 to 2018) is used as input for the numerical model. The dataset and numerical model performance were validated against in-situ measurements. The results showed amongst the locations studied off Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh had good potential to extract offshore wind energy using offshore wind turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind turbine foundations are designed to withstand environmental loads from the wind and waves, both of which are cyclic in nature. The current design methods consider site-specific cyclic load histories and typically require these to be translated from a time–load history with irregular characteristics to an idealised history of parcels of cycles with uniform amplitude and constant average load. The Rainflow counting method is typically used for this translation. The idealised history is then applied in a design method, for example the strain accumulation method. These methods assume that the idealised load history will give approximately the same effect on the soil as the irregular time history. This paper investigates this assumption by a laboratory test programme where the soil response under realistic irregular loading is compared with the response under idealised loading. The laboratory programme consists of cyclic direct simple shear tests on lightly overconsolidated North Sea clay. For most problems, the test results suggest that the assumption is reasonable and represents a convenient simplification for practical design. However, for load histories with large average load, prediction of permanent strain based on idealised histories may underestimate the strain observed in tests with irregular time histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore renewable energy structures are subject to harsh environments with loading from wind, wave, and tides which introduce fatigue damage in corrosive and erosive environments. An effective approach that has been found to improve mechanical and fatigue resistance of engineering structures is employment of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology. However, little research has been conducted for implementation of AM technology in offshore renewable energy structures. This study aims to collate and critically discuss the advantages that AM technology can offer to enhance the lifespan of offshore renewable energy structures. In addition to fatigue life improvement, the potential of AM technology to enhance corrosion and erosion resistance in offshore renewable energy structures has been explored. It has been found in this study that among the existing AM techniques, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) offers promising potentials for life enhancement of offshore wind turbine and tidal turbine support structures. Early research into the potential of using WAAM to create corrosion resistance coatings and components highlights many benefits achieved from this new emerging manufacturing technology, but further research is required to justify the use of the processes for commercial applications. In terms of erosion and wear resistance even less research has been conducted but initial findings show that AM has the potential to add a great level of resistance compared to the wrought material. This study presents the key advantages that AM technology offers to enhance the design life and integrity of offshore renewable energy structures as a first step towards unlocking the great potentials of AM for consideration and implementation in the energy transition roadmap.

Currently, monopiles are the industry's first choice to support offshore wind turbines (OWTs) due to the complexities associated with fabrication, transportation and installation of various foundation solutions. These are, however, considered suitable for water depths up to ∼30–35 m, beyond which they become massive and complex to handle. Increasing the application range of monopiles without making them too large by adopting some suitable means may significantly impact the rapid growth of OWTs at intermediate water depths (∼50 m), where existing solutions such as jackets or concrete gravity foundations involve large capital expenditure. In this work, a novel approach of utilising pre-tensioned tethers along with a 6.0 m wide monopile was explored for 50 m water depth. Under an extreme load case, the stress ratio was found to be reduced from 1.17 to 0.44 when pre-tensioned tethers are used. Similarly, it was found that by adjusting parameters associated with the proposed concept, fatigue damage can be brought down from a very high value to 0.63 or less. The results thus show that the proposed approach can open new avenues to bring competitiveness to the cost of offshore wind energy at intermediate water depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore anthropogenic activities such as the installation of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) developments and sediment extraction for marine aggregates have been shown to disrupt current flow, wave propagation, and sediment transport pathways, leading to potential environmental instability. Due to the complexity of the interconnected sediment transport pathways in the south-western Irish Sea combined with an increase in planned anthropogenic activities, the assessment of this risk is imperative for the development of a robust marine spatial plan. Subsequently, this study uses two-dimensional morphological modelling to build upon previous studies to assess the dependency of Arklow Bank's local sediment transport regime on external sediment sources. Additionally, scenario modelling is used to identify vulnerable areas of this offshore linear sand bank to wind and wave-forcing and to examine the nature of this impact. A sediment budget is estimated for Arklow Bank, whereby seven source and nine sink pathways are identified. New evidence to support the exchange of sediment between offshore sand banks and offshore independent sand wave fields is also provided. The areas of the bank most vulnerable to changes in external sediment sources and the addition of wind- and wave-induced flow are analogous. These high vulnerability zones (HVZs) align with regions of residual cross-flow under pure current conditions. The restriction of sediment sources off the southern extent of Arklow Bank impacts erosion and accretion patterns in the mid- and northern sections of the bank after just one lunar month of simulation. Where tidal current is the primary driver of sand bank morphodynamics, wind- and wave-induced flow is shown to temporarily alter sediment distribution patterns. Wind and wave-induced flow can both accelerate and decelerate the east-west fluctuation of the upper slopes of the bank, yet the nature of this impact is inconsistent due to the misalignment of the directionality of these two forces. The methods and new knowledge derived from this study are directly applicable to tidally-dominated environments outside the Irish Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Island microgrids play a crucial role in developing and utilizing offshore renewable energy sources. However, high operation costs and limited operational flexibility are significant challenges. To address these problems, this paper proposes a novel dual−layer distributed optimal operation methodology for islanded microgrids. The lower layer is a distributed control layer that manages multiple controllable distributed fuel−based microturbines (MTs) within the island microgrids. A novel adaptive consensus control method is proposed in this layer to ensure uniform operating status for each MT. Moreover, the proposed method can achieve the total output power of MTs to follow the reference signal provided by the upper layer while ensuring plug−and−play capability for MTs. The upper layer is an optimal scheduling layer that manages various forms of controllable distributed power sources and provides control reference signals for the lower layer. Additionally, a two−stage twin−delayed deterministic policy gradient (MATD3) algorithm is utilized in this layer to minimize the operating costs of island microgrids while ensuring their safe operation. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology can effectively reduce the operating costs of island microgrids, unify the operational status of MTs, and achieve plug−and−play capability for MTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with state of the art in structural health monitoring (SHM) methods in offshore and marine structures. Most SHM methods have been developed for onshore infrastructures. Few studies are available to implement SHM technologies in offshore and marine structures. This paper aims to fill this gap and highlight the challenges in implementing SHM methods in offshore and marine structures. The present work categorises the available techniques for establishing SHM models in oil rigs, offshore wind turbine structures, subsea systems, vessels, pipelines and so on. Additionally, the capabilities of proposed ideas in recent publications are classified into three main categories: model-based methods, vibration-based methods and digital twin methods. Recently developed novel signal processing and machine learning algorithms are reviewed and their abilities are discussed. Developed methods in vision-based and population-based approaches are also presented and discussed. The aim of this paper is to provide guidelines for selecting and establishing SHM in offshore and marine structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floating Modular Energy Islands (FMEIs) are modularized, interconnected floating structures that function together to produce, store, possibly convert and transport renewable energy. Recent technological advancements in the offshore energy sector indicate that the concept of floating offshore energy islands has the potential to become more cost-effective and more widespread than previously anticipated. This review is specifically meant as a basis for the development of new approaches to the sustainable exploitation of multi-energy sources in the offshore environment leveraging the know-how of existing technologies and, at the same time, exploring new solutions for the specific challenges of FMEIs. The paper critically analyzes the current state of data-driven approaches and structural health monitoring techniques in the offshore energy sector. It also covers topics such as met-ocean data, loads estimation, platform dynamics, coupling actions, nonlinear dynamics of mooring lines, modelling considerations, and control of electrical subsystems. It is believed that this systematic and multidisciplinary review will facilitate synergies and further enhance research and development of offshore renewable energies. • Floating Modular Energy Islands. • Data-driven approaches and Structural Health Monitoring techniques. • Loads estimation, platform dynamics and modelling considerations. • Dynamics of mooring lines and modelling aspects. • Control of electrical subsystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgency to mitigate the effects of climate change necessitates an unprecedented global deployment of offshore renewable-energy technologies mainly including offshore wind, tidal stream, wave energy, and floating solar photovoltaic. To achieve the global energy demand for terawatt-hours, the infrastructure for such technologies will require a large spatial footprint. Accommodating this footprint will require rapid landscape evolution, ideally within two decades. For instance, the United Kingdom has committed to deploying 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 with 90–110 GW by 2050, which is equivalent to four times and ten times more than the 2022 capacity, respectively. If all were 15 MW turbines spaced 1.5 km apart, 50 GW would require 7500 km ^2 and 110 GW would require 16 500 km ^2 . This review paper aims to anticipate environmental impacts stemming from the large-scale deployment of offshore renewable energy. These impacts have been categorised into three broad types based on the region (i.e. atmospheric, hydrodynamic, ecological). We synthesise our results into a table classifying whether the impacts are positive, negative, negligible, or unknown; whether the impact is instantaneous or lagged over time; and whether the impacts occur when the offshore infrastructure is being constructed, operating or during decommissioning. Our table benefits those studying the marine ecosystem before any project is installed to help assess the baseline characteristics to be considered in order to identify and then quantify possible future impacts.

IntroductionThere is an emerging need for the offshore renewable industry to have their own bespoke design guidelines because the associated projects and offshore facilities differ in fundamental ways to oil and gas facilities. Offshore renewable energy (ORE) facilities have already surpassed the numbers of installed facilities in the oil and gas industry by an order of magnitude and demand is forecast to continue growing exponentially. In addition ORE facilities often have different response characteristics and limit states or failure modes as well as profoundly different risk and consequence profiles given they are generally uncrewed and do not contain explosive hydrocarbon fluids which might be released into the environment. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to advocate for licensing bodies and regulators (such as the various national PEL 114 committees) to challenge the process of automatic adoption of oil and gas design processes, while pushing for offshore renewables to be treated differently, when appropriate, with more relevant and applicable guidance.MethodsTo support this argument we present new bespoke design guidance developed for subsea cables based on specific modes of cable behaviour, which often differ from pipelines. We also show worked examples from recent project experience. The results from on-bottom stability analyses of a set of cables are compared between conventional oil and gas guidance following DNV-RP-F109 versus the stability using cable-optimised approaches.ResultsThe outcomes from the ‘conventional’ oil and gas results are not simply biased compared to cable-optimised design methods, with a trend of being either conservative or unconservative. Instead, the results of the two methods are very poorly correlated. This shows that the oil and gas approach isn't simply biased when applied to cables, but is instead unreliable because it doesn't capture the underlying failure conditions. These analytical comparisons are supported by field observation - the ocean doesn't lie, and makes short work of any anthropogenic structures which are designed with inadequate appreciation of the real world conditions.DiscussionTo support the rapid growth of ORE, we should therefore actively pursue opportunities to rewrite the design rules and standards, so that they better support the specific requirements of ORE infrastructure, rather than legacy oil and gas structures. With more appropriate design practices, we can accelerate the roll out of ORE to meet net zero, and mitigate the climate crisis.

Offshore sand banks are an important resource for coastal protection, marine aggregates, and benthic habitats and are the site of many offshore wind farms. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the baseline processes controlling sand bank morphodynamics is imperative. This knowledge will aid the development of a long-term robust marine spatial plan and help address the environmental instability arising from anthropogenic activities. This study uses a validated, dynamically coupled, two-dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment transport model to investigate the hydrodynamic processes controlling the highly mobile upper layer of Arklow Bank, while maintaining overall long-term bank base stability. The results reveal a flood and ebb tidal current dominance on the west and east side of the bank, respectively, ultimately generating a large anticlockwise residual current eddy encompassing the entire bank. This residual current flow distributes sediment along the full length of the sand bank. The positioning of multiple off-bank anticlockwise residual current eddies on the edge of this cell is shown to influence east–west fluctuations of the upper slopes of the sand bank and act as a control on long-term stability. These off-bank eddies facilitate this type of movement when the outer flows of adjacent eddies, located on both sides of the bank, flow in a general uniform direction. Whereas they inhibit this east–west movement when the outer flows of adjacent eddies, on either side of the bank, flow in converging directions towards the bank itself. These residual eddies also facilitate sediment transport in and out of the local sediment transport system. Within Arklow Bank's morphological cell, eight morphodynamically and hydrodynamically unique bank sections or 'sub-cells' are identified, whereby a complex morphodynamic–hydrodynamic feedback loop is present. The local east–west fluctuation of the upper slopes of the bank is driven by migratory on-bank stationary and transient clockwise residual eddies and the development of 'narrow' residual current cross-flow zones. Together, these processes drive upper slope mobility but maintain long-term bank base stability. This novel understanding of sand bank morphodynamics is applicable to bedforms in tidally dominated continental shelf seas outside the Irish Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a hierarchical met-ocean data selection model is proposed to reduce the computational cost in stochastic simulation of operation and maintenance (O&M) and enable rapid evaluation of offshore renewable energy systems. The proposed model identifies the most representative data for each calendar month from the long-term historical met-ocean data in two steps, namely the preselection and the refined selection. The preselection incorporates three distinct metrics to evaluate the characteristics of statistical distributions, including the Jensen–Shannon divergence, the encapsulation of extreme met-ocean conditions, as well as the overall vessel accessibility. For the refined selection, a component of temporal synchrony is devised to emulate dynamic changes of met-ocean conditions. As such, a met-ocean reference year comprising twelve representative historical months is subsequently produced and deployed as the input for O&M stochastic simulation. While this research focuses on the development of a generalised methodology for selecting representative met-ocean data, the proposed statistical method is validated empirically using a case study inspired by real-life floating offshore wind installations in Scotland, e.g., Hywind and Kincardine projects. According to the O&M simulation results with five capacity scenarios, the proposed data selection model reduces the computational cost by up to 97.65% while emulating the original results with minor deviations, i.e., within ± 5%. The simulation speed is therefore 43 times quicker. Overall, the proposed met-ocean data selection model attains an excellent trade off between computational efficiency and accuracy in O&M stochastic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore anthropogenic activities such as the installation of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) developments and sediment extraction for marine aggregates have been shown to disrupt current flow, wave propagation, and sediment transport pathways, leading to potential environmental instability. Due to the complexity of the interconnected sediment transport pathways in the south-western Irish Sea combined with an increase in planned anthropogenic activities, the assessment of this risk is imperative for the development of a robust marine spatial plan. Subsequently, this study uses two-dimensional morphological modelling to build upon previous studies to assess the dependency of Arklow Bank’s local sediment transport regime on external sediment sources. Additionally, scenario modelling is used to identify vulnerable areas of this offshore linear sand bank to wind and wave-forcing and to examine the nature of this impact. A sediment budget is estimated for Arklow Bank, whereby seven source and nine sink pathways are identified. New evidence to support the exchange of sediment between offshore sand banks and offshore independent sand wave fields is also provided. The areas of the bank most vulnerable to changes in external sediment sources and the addition of wind- and wave-induced flow are analogous. These high vulnerability zones (HVZs) align with regions of residual cross-flow under pure current conditions. The restriction of sediment sources off the southern extent of Arklow Bank impacts erosion and accretion patterns in the mid- and northern sections of the bank after just one lunar month of simulation. Where tidal current is the primary driver of sand bank morphodynamics, wind- and wave-induced flow is shown to temporarily alter sediment distribution patterns. Wind and wave-induced flow can both accelerate and decelerate the east-west fluctuation of the upper slopes of the bank, yet the nature of this impact is inconsistent due to the misalignment of the directionality of these two forces. The methods and new knowledge derived from this study are directly applicable to tidally-dominated environments outside the Irish Sea.

Underwater compressed air energy storage was developed from its terrestrial counterpart. It has also evolved to underwater compressed natural gas and hydrogen energy storage in recent years. UWCGES is a promising energy storage technology for the marine environment and subsequently of recent significant interest attention. However, it is still immature. In this study, the latest progress in both academic and industrial fields is summarized. Additionally, challenges facing this emerging technology are analyzed. The pros and cons of UWCGES are provided and are differentiated from the terrestrial variant. Technical, economic, environmental, and policy challenges are examined. In particular, the critical issues for developing artificial large and ultra-large underwater gas storage accumulators and effective underwater gas transportation are comprehensively analyzed. Finally, the demand for marine energy storage technology is briefly summarized, and the potential application scenarios and application modes of underwater compressed gas energy storage technology are prospected. This study aims to highlight the current state of the UWCGES sector and provide some guidance and reference for theoretical research and industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive exploration of hydrodynamic and aerodynamic design requirements for FSPs is presented, along with essential metocean data for effective implementation. • A detailed investigation of critical design factors for FSP arrays under various environmental conditions is examined, providing valuable insights for optimal performance. • Complex nonlinear wave-induced phenomena on FSPs are investigated in-depth, providing a thorough understanding of these effects. • The application of existing fluid-structure interaction models in the design and development of FSPs is discussed, highlighting their challenges and differences. • A data-driven perspective on FSPs is illustrated, emphasizing the role of machine learning in enhancing design and performance. Floating solar platform (FSP) installations in coastal waters provide a significant energy source for reaching the goal of global net-zero emissions by 2050. These alternative and beautiful green energy installations offer substantial renewable energy generation potential. However, developing robust design solutions is crucial for fully exploiting such potential in offshore environments. This review explores the fundamental requirements for designing FSPs in offshore settings from an engineering perspective. A primary focus is on the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic characteristics, stochastic behaviours, and nonlinear phenomena associated with these structures. Key design parameters such as geometry, modularity, connectivity, and mooring systems are subjected to comprehensive analysis. The interaction between wind, waves, and FSP dynamics is examined, with particular attention to wind-wave coupling. Additionally, complex nonlinear wave phenomena, such as slamming, overtopping, green water, sloshing, ringing, and springing, are thoroughly discussed. The review also highlights the application of previous fluid-structure interaction research in FSP design and development, addressing challenges and variations encountered in this field. Furthermore, the role of data-driven approaches, particularly machine learning, in enhancing the design and development of FSPs is illustrated. This comprehensive examination provides a more delicate understanding of the design challenges and requirements inherent in this rapidly evolving technological field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Island microgrids play a crucial role in developing and utilizing offshore renewable energy sources. However, high operation costs and limited operational flexibility are significant challenges. To address these problems, this paper proposes a novel dual−layer distributed optimal operation methodology for islanded microgrids. The lower layer is a distributed control layer that manages multiple controllable distributed fuel−based microturbines (MTs) within the island microgrids. A novel adaptive consensus control method is proposed in this layer to ensure uniform operating status for each MT. Moreover, the proposed method can achieve the total output power of MTs to follow the reference signal provided by the upper layer while ensuring plug−and−play capability for MTs. The upper layer is an optimal scheduling layer that manages various forms of controllable distributed power sources and provides control reference signals for the lower layer. Additionally, a two−stage twin−delayed deterministic policy gradient (MATD3) algorithm is utilized in this layer to minimize the operating costs of island microgrids while ensuring their safe operation. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology can effectively reduce the operating costs of island microgrids, unify the operational status of MTs, and achieve plug−and−play capability for MTs.

We present a theoretical model to analyse the hydrodynamics of wave energy converters (WECs) comprised of three-dimensional, rigid, floating, compound rectangular plates in the open sea. The hydrodynamic problem is solved by means of Green's theorem and a free-surface Green's function. Plate motion is predicted through decomposition into rigid natural modes. We first analyse the case of a single rectangular plate and validate our model against experimental results from physical model tests undertaken in the COAST laboratory at the University of Plymouth. Then we extend our theory to complex shapes and arrays of plates and examine how the geometry, incident wave direction and power take-off (PTO) coefficient affect the response of the platform and the consequent absorbed energy. [Display omitted] • Plate hydrodynamics solved by applying Green's theorem and Green's function. • Plate geometry plays a major role in determining power extraction efficiency. • Moonpool resonance affects wave power absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]