MEC651H - Marine Renewable Energies (2022-2023)

The course is divided in three main parts:

1. General lectures introducing basic concepts of fluid-structure interaction (2 slots);

2. Focused lectures dedicated to wind offshore and floating structures technologies (4 slots);

3. Numerical project based on the NREL FAST software to design a complete floating wind turbine (4 slots).

This course is aimed at:

• Giving the necessary knowledge to understand the physical phenomena that occur when an offshore structure interacts with currents, waves and wind.

• Providing an exhaustive overview of the actual issues and techniques in the marine renewable

energies industry.

• Presenting some numerical tools to solve basic design problems in fluid-structure interaction.

Course main content

This course would be divided into three parts.

I. In the first part (2 sessions), a review of the basics of fluid-structure interactions is presented. The main physical phenomena that arise in all offshore industries will be theoretically addressed:

- Added mass, damping and rigidities that affect the dynamics of structures in still or flowing fluids.

- Flow-induced vibrations, such as vortex-induced vibrations, coupled mode flutter, drag and lift crisis instabilities.

II. In the second part (4 sessions), the different technologies will be presented by industrials:

- Wind offshore technologies and marine thermal energy technologies (V. De Laleu).

- Wind floating technologies (C. Peyrard).

- Connection to the grid (F. Xavier)

III. The last part will be devoted to a numerical project (4 sessions).

Examination and requirements for final grade 

The course is divided in three main parts:

1. General lectures introducing basic concepts of fluid-structure interaction (2 slots);

2. Focused lectures dedicated to wind offshore and floating structures technologies (4 slots);

3. Numerical project based on the NREL FAST software to design a complete floating wind turbine (4 slots).

This course is aimed at:

• Giving the necessary knowledge to understand the physical phenomena that occur when an offshore structure interacts with currents, waves and wind.

• Providing an exhaustive overview of the actual issues and techniques in the marine renewable energies industry.

• Presenting some numerical tools to solve basic design problems in fluid-structure interaction.

Course main content

This course would be divided into three parts.

I. In the first part (2 sessions), a review of the basics of fluid-structure interactions is presented. The

main physical phenomena that arise in all offshore industries will be theoretically addressed:

- Added mass, damping and rigidities that affect the dynamics of structures in still or flowing fluids.

- Flow-induced vibrations, such as vortex-induced vibrations, coupled mode flutter, drag and lift crisis instabilities.

II. In the second part (4 sessions), the different technologies will be presented by industrials:

- Wind offshore technologies and marine thermal energy technologies (V. De Laleu).

- Wind floating technologies (C. Peyrard).

- Connection to the grid (F. Xavier)

III. The last part will be devoted to a numerical project (4 sessions).

Examination and requirements for final grade