A Biomimetic Inspired Energy Saving Device on Marine Propeller
This project is sponsored by the Royal Society to explore the application of the biomimetic leading edge tubercle concept on marine propellers with a view to improving their performance and ultimately reducing ship fuel consumption. And we currently find the application of leading-edge tubercles can control the cavitation development (50% volume reduction) and mitigation the noise.
Control or Mitigation of the Turbulence Generated by Marine Control Surfaces
This project is to support BAE Systems to research a novel solution (retrofitting flow conditioning devices) or strategies (best practice) enable the control and/or mitigation of a marine control surface’s turbulence without compromising its functionality.
Design and Optimisation of Noise Reduction Marine Ducted Thrusters
This project is to support BAE Systems by exploring the influence of leading-edge tubercle modifications on a marine ducted propeller's hydrodynamic and noise performance.
Dynamic Stability of JFD DSAR rescue submarine
This project is to support James Fisher and Defence Ltd. (JFD) to perform dynamic stability analysis using computational fluid dynamics software. The third generation Deep Search and Rescue (DSAR) vehicle is modelled with 6-degree of freedom in self-propulsion condition to assess its dynamic stability performance.
LiftWEC - Development of a novel wave energy converter based on hydrodynamic lift forces
This project is sponsored by EU-H2020 program to design a wave energy device called LiftWEC to exploit the lift forces generated using a rotating hydrofoil. This radically different approach to the design of wave energy converters, provided by the LiftWEC concept, offers the opportunity of making a step-change in the potential of wave energy and thus leading the way for its commercialisation.
ELEMENT - Effective Lifetime Extension in the Marine Environment for Tidal Energy
This project is sponsored by EU-H2020 program supporting Nova Innovation. The ELEMENT team – a partnership of leading European academic, industrial and research organisations – will develop and validate a radically innovative tidal turbine control system, using the tidal turbine itself as a sensor, to deliver a step change improvement in the performance of the tidal energy sector.
Biomimetic improvement for the hydrodynamic performance of the enduring underwater glider
Even with thousands of years’ exploration, we still know little about our mother ocean. Till now, continuous monitoring in the ocean is always paramount. In the last 20 years, a type of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), underwater glider(UG), has shed light on the enduring monitoring. It uses small buoyancy change to
move up and down gliding through the ocean. However, most of the off-the-shelf UGs are still relying on their
onboard battery power which limits either its endurance (6-24 months) or payload capacity or travelling speed (1-2 knot). The hydrodynamic design of UGs is still far from optimum as the design is mainly based on the legacy torpedo shape with rectangle wings.
Through this project, the consortium is seeking for a biomimetic solution to improve the hydrodynamic design of UGs. The research is going to be conducted by numerical and experimental investigations jointly in both institutions with primary focuses on hull surface resistance reduction and wing performance enhancement.
Two bio-inspired concepts, bionic surface treatment and humpback whale tubercles, are going to apply onto a UG to evaluate the potential hydrodynamic performance enhancement. Advanced numerical simulation and
experimental validation are going to be conducted in this project. With the development of this project, the UG
can be optimized towards efficient gliding and be more resilient to the harsh marine environment so that to provide efficient and reliable services.
move up and down gliding through the ocean. However, most of the off-the-shelf UGs are still relying on their
onboard battery power which limits either its endurance (6-24 months) or payload capacity or travelling speed (1-2 knot). The hydrodynamic design of UGs is still far from optimum as the design is mainly based on the legacy torpedo shape with rectangle wings.
Through this project, the consortium is seeking for a biomimetic solution to improve the hydrodynamic design of UGs. The research is going to be conducted by numerical and experimental investigations jointly in both institutions with primary focuses on hull surface resistance reduction and wing performance enhancement.
Two bio-inspired concepts, bionic surface treatment and humpback whale tubercles, are going to apply onto a UG to evaluate the potential hydrodynamic performance enhancement. Advanced numerical simulation and
experimental validation are going to be conducted in this project. With the development of this project, the UG
can be optimized towards efficient gliding and be more resilient to the harsh marine environment so that to provide efficient and reliable services.
Acknowledgement to our funders
