Project

The general aim of the PhD project is to develop and evaluate innovative methods for mitigation of flooding and coastal erosion hazard in the context of increasing storminess and sea level rise. The PhD project will be related mainly to experimental testing of various innovative methods for improving the safety of European coasts in a changing climate. These methods will among others be upgrade of existing defenses (dikes, breakwaters etc.) and reduction of wave energy at the coasts by utilization of wave energy converters placed near-shore.

In connection with the construction of the Nysted (Rødsand) offshore wind farm, an experimental study of the erosion protection around the turbine foundations has been carried out. The project has determined comparative erosion depths around different foundation types placed on sand. In addition, tests have been carried out with the proposed erosion protection. The project has been carried out for SEAS Distribution, the Wind Power Department and Carl Bro Anlæg A/S. (Peter Frigaard, Morten Kramer, Tue Hald).

When buoys are close together, the buoys will interact hydrodynamically. This means that if one buoy in the system is forced to move, the water around the buoy will be set in motion, which will affect the other buoys and thus also start to move. If the buoys are stationary but are affected by waves, the waves will be reflected and diffracted when they hit a buoy. This will cause a form of shadowing from the buoy on the leeward side of a buoy. The study deals with the calculation of these interactions and shadowing effects.

The efficiency of wave energy systems using floats depends largely on the geometric design of the floats. The geometry of the float, e.g. diameter, displacement and radii of curvature, gives rise to wave loads of different magnitudes. The study deals with the calculation of hydrodynamic loads for different float types with a view to optimizing the wave loads for wave energy utilization.

The Wave Star wave energy machine converts the energy of waves into electricity. Wave Star is under development and model tests are being carried out at Aalborg University. The tests are carried out with a view to optimising the efficiency in different wave conditions and mapping effects such as the orientation of the plant in relation to the waves. The tests are supplemented with computer calculations. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Wave Star Energy.

Blue Mathematics at AAU is a new teaching and research initiative supported by Orient's Fond. The current funding is for a six-year period (2024-2029). The leadership of the project is ensured by Professor Morten Willatzen and Professor Horia Cornean. There are also two Orient's Fond Chair Associate Professors: Fynn Aschmoneit and Matteo Bonini.

At this stage, our main efforts are directed towards building the foundation for new activities. The topics will mainly deal with real life problems coming from Engineering Mathematics in a broad sense, involving areas such as Fluid Dynamics, Optimization, Spatial Statistics, Cryptography, Coding Theory and Secure Communication, all applied to the maritime sector. More details to follow.

WaveLab is a computer program for data collection and analysis in a wave laboratory. The focus is on the analysis of both long and short crested waves.

An experimental study of float design is carried out with scale 1:40 models. Through tests in a wave laboratory, horizontal and vertical wave forces are measured under different influences for a wide range of float types. Initially, the effect of the float geometry is measured for a restrained float. Subsequently, the effect of the float's anchoring system is described where movements of the float under wave influence are possible.

AquaBuoy is a buoy that can convert energy in ocean waves into electricity. AquaBuOY consists of a 9m high float with a diameter of 6m, under which is fixed a 25m long vertical tube with an inner diameter of 4m. AquaBuOY is designed to have large vertical movements in relatively small buoys. By mounting a special hose pump inside the long vertical tube, the wave energy can be extracted by utilizing the differential movements between the vertical tube and the water column inside the tube. The project primarily deals with the design and dimensioning of the anchoring system. AquaBuOY is being developed in collaboration with AquaEnergy Group, USA and Rambøll. (Morten Kramer, Thomas Lykke Andersen, Peter Frigaard, Anders Augustesen.)

The project concerns consultancy in connection with the construction of a new wave laboratory in Naples, Italy. The Department of Water, Soil and Environmental Engineering comments on the design and supplies software for data analysis and control of the wave machines. The project has been carried out for the 2nd University of Naples, Italy. (Peter Frigaard, Palle Meinert, Thomas Lykke Andersen)