Background
The transfer of offshore wind farm workers between transport vessels and wind turbines is a hazardous operation with a disproportionately high occurrence of "high potential" incidents. Motion sickness has been reported to affect offshore wind farm worker well-being, and has been identified as a job demand, especially during crew transfer and ladder-climbing operations.
This scoping review sought to determine the extent to which current research defines, describes, and quantifies MS among offshore wind farm workers and to identify relevant research gaps.
Methods
Using terms related to motion sickness and offshore wind farm operations, searches were conducted of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies published in English between 1990 and 2024 were included.
Results
795 articles were retrieved, of which 11 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles describe MS as a job demand but do not clearly define it in the research context. Consequently, it remains unclear which symptoms of MS constitute a job demand and how workers are affected. Additionally, indications of motion sickness prevalence are required, using a clear definition which accounts for the wide range of subjective symptoms other than vomiting.
No research appears to have been carried out where motion sickness among wind farm workers has been studied as a broad occupational health issue within the offshore wind energy sector.
Conclusions
This review identifies significant research gaps concerning motion sickness among offshore wind farm workers. Motion sickness-related issues have either been overlooked, studied in isolation, or insufficiently addressed. These issues constitute empirical, methodological, and knowledge gaps, necessitating a need for systematic studies that address these research gaps in the context of the offshore wind energy sector.
With increasing demand for renewable energy resources, the development of alternative concepts is still ongoing. The wave energy sector is still in vast development on the way to contribute to the energy production world wide. The present study presents the development of the Exowave wave energy converter made so far. A numerical model has been established supported by wave flume tests performed at Aalborg University during the first phase of the development. Furthermore, a successful open sea demonstration has been performed on 7 meters of water at Blue Accelerator, Belgium, from which the concept has been proven. As part of the ongoing research, verification of the numerical model will be made through experimental testing in the wave tank of Aalborg University, and an open sea demonstration at 14 meters of water depth will be executed off the coast of Hanstholm, Denmark.