About the project
Efficient anchor design methods are urgently needed for upscaling offshore renewable energy infrastructure and unlocking farm-scale floating wind developments. During this PhD project, you will learn about whole-life anchor design and seabed response, to then lead the way in developing these into new design approaches for anchoring systems.
Decarbonisation of our energy supply to meet UK and international Net Zero targets by 2050 requires rapid expansion of the offshore renewables industry. As offshore renewable energy facilities move into deeper water depths with softer seabeds, new anchoring systems are needed. Meanwhile, the concept of ‘whole life’ geotechnical behaviour is unlocking new design approaches: soft seabeds can gain strength from low level operational loads, which offers the potential for new design efficiencies, capitalising on the increased strength.
During the project, you will use experimental and numerical modelling methods to develop new concepts for anchoring of floating renewables, harnessing the ‘whole life’ response of the seabed. The experimental data will be used to develop numerical models for more efficient anchor behaviour, which will be integrated into existing mooring-floater models to capture the connected and improved full-floating response of offshore floating renewable energy devices.
You will join our Centre of Excellence for Intelligent and Resilient Ocean Engineering (IROE) supported through the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies scheme and have access to the EPSRC Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Hub, providing you with a team of diverse and energetic researchers to become part of. You will have the opportunity to develop your engineering skills in geomechanics and collaborate with industry. The outcomes of your project are expected to be taken up by the offshore renewable energy sector and therefore have direct impact on the industry by improving anchor and full-floating system design methods.
