Coordinateurs du projet
Context
Floating wind turbine projects are developing promisingly on a global scale. One of their key components is the dynamic power cable that connects the wind turbines to their electrical substation and to the underwater energy grid.
It is in this context that the Biodytherm8 project, winner of the WEAMEC Small Equipment call for projects in 2020, aims to acquire an in situ monitoring device for biofouling on umbilical heat exchanges.
Scientific breakthroughs and innovation
Device for in situ monitoring of biofouling on umbilical heat exchangers
One of the least known and most impactful effects is biocolonization. Biocolonization refers to the development of marine concretions (algae, mussels, oysters) that can reach several tens of centimeters in thickness. Through the effects of thermal shielding, additional mass, and changes in roughness, biofouling impacts the behavior of dynamic cables.
Major effects include:
- hydrodynamic stresses that alter performance in stormy conditions or under fatigue.
- Thermal effects around the cable. Given the variety of cable components (buoyancy modules, stiffeners) and
- the variety of biological environments, modeling this phenomenon remains a challenge. It is therefore necessary to understand the role of biocolonization, in all its variability, in order to optimize detailed studies.
To this end, the instrumentation of sites using buoys, such as those used by AKROCEAN, must include components that enable this phenomenon to be quantified prior to the construction of the fields.
The Biodytherm8 project, based on the BIODYTHERM project, is the transition to TRL8 of the Biodytherm concept, integrating the measurement of multi-physical parameters at a site studied by AKROCEAN.
Expected technical and economic impact
The project aims to:
- Validate the Biodytherm device;
- Measure biocolonization and the difference between the chain and the anchorage in relation to the umbilical material;
- Analyze the thermal impact and initiate future research steps for extrapolation beyond 1 year using knowledge of the physicochemical parameters.