In order to perform fatigue testing on tidal turbine blades, it is necessary apply cyclic loads that do not match the blade's natural frequency. This due high stiffness of blades and thermal challenges associated with composite materials at frequencies typically around 18–20 Hz. To overcome this challenge, auxiliary systems are used load blades. However, conventional hydraulic commonly for purpose known be energy-intensive inefficient. work, we present results obtained FastBlade facility,...

Historically, a large fraction of fatigue testing both components and structures has been performed using hydraulic actuators. These are typically driven by servo-valves, which in themselves very inefficient. But, as most tests involve elastically stressing mechanical components, lot stored energy could be recovered. Unfortunately, servo-valves not regenerative—simply metering out fluid order to relax the system prior start next cycle. There is much gained with more intelligently controlled...

Abstract River meanders are one of the most recurrent and varied patterns in fluvial systems. Multiple attempts have been made to detect categorize meandering rivers understand their shape evolution. A novel data‐driven approach was used classify single‐bend meanders. data set containing approximately 10 million single‐lobe meander bends generated using Kinoshita curve. neural network autoencoder trained over curvature energy spectra Kinoshita‐generated Then, tested on 7521 real extracted...

Abstract Many models have been so far proposed to simulate and understand the long‐term evolution of meandering rivers. Nevertheless, some modeling problems still need be solved, for example, physical soundness simulations when width variations are accounted for. The present work proposes use statistical tools capture spatiotemporal channel embed their effect into a physics‐statistics‐based model that simulates river bank evolution. Erosion deposition processes assumed act independently,...

Fatigue testing of tidal turbine blades requires the application cyclic loads without ability to match natural frequency blade due their high stiffness and associated thermal issues composite materials at those frequencies (i.e., 18-20 Hz). To solve this, loading with an auxiliary system is necessary; in most cases, a conventional hydraulic tends be highly energy-demanding inefficient. A regenerative digital displacement pump was employed FastBlade fatigue facility, which saved up 75%...

Fatigue testing of tidal turbine blades requires the application cyclic loads without ability to match natural frequency blade due their high stiffness and associated thermal issues composite materials at those frequencies (i.e., 18-20 Hz). To solve this, loading with an auxiliary system is necessary; in most cases, a conventional hydraulic tends be highly energy demanding inefficient. A regenerative digital displacement pump was employed FastBlade fatigue facility, which saved up 75%...

To achieve the full potential of tidal stream energy, developers are incentivised to use larger blades on turbines. This requires validation blade structural designs through full-scale fatigue tests de-risk engineering process. However, loading scenarios encountered in testing facilities and those reality could be significantly different, which induces errors loads damage. Here we characterise unsteady load variation model-scale experiment. It was found that standard deviations thrust range...

Fatigue testing of composite tidal turbine blades aims to stimulate the damage a specimen, which it would experience over lifetime its subsea deployment. The mechanical response blade is monitored as undergoes thousands stress cycles. experiment results are subsequently used evaluate design and manufacturing processes by comparing them against theoretical industry standards. Therefore, essential for credibility test that loads exerted on specimen match desired loading values. Process...

Due to the rapid growth of tidal stream energy sector, turbine developers are incentivised design and manufacture larger blades, which require fatigue testing before deployment. While recent advances in computational methods allow efficient prediction unsteady blade loads, it is difficult consider all flow conditions throughout lifetime for predicting loads that serve as input a test. To solve this, following paper proposes data-driven methodology classify velocities measured at European...

Fatigue testing for tidal turbine blades involves the application of cyclic loads without matching blade's natural frequency, which is challenging due to their high stiffness and associated thermal issues composite materials at those frequencies (typically around 18Hz cycles). An auxiliary system required load address this challenge. However, traditional hydraulic systems tend be highly energy-demanding inefficient.
 To solve problem, researchers utilized real on-site data define a...

One of the challenges testing and health monitoring large structures represents is getting as much information possible from a specimen with limited number sensors. In this work, data-driven approach was pursued to decide optimal location single-point strain gauges using machine learning algorithms (MLA) Digital Image Correlation (DIC) measurements. The gauge placement computed for range sensor numbers presence sensors in high-gradient regions identified. Strain maps almost 40,000...

River meanders are one of the most recurrent and varied patterns in fluvial systems. Multiple attempts have been made to detect categorise meandering rivers understand their shape evolution. A novel data-driven approach was used classify single-bend meanders. dataset containing approximately 10 million single-lobe meander bends generated using Kinoshita curve. neural network autoencoder trained over curvature energy spectra Kinoshita-generated Then, then tested on real extracted from...

A fatigue test aims to subject a specimen multitude of loading cycles stimulate damage. This way objects such as beams, columns, or blades can be tested at an accelerated pace, and their degradation patterns examined before they are commissioned for mass production/service. Fatigue tests energy-expensive processes due the vast number required. Some benefit from energy savings when specimen, wind turbine blade, actuated its natural frequency resonance occurs. However, stiffer objects, polymer...

There has been a significant increase in the development of tidal energy to enhance its competitiveness compared other renewable sources. This growth requires dedicated fatigue testing facilities for composite turbine blades. In first decades industry, blade load introduction methods from wind sector were adopted onshore testing. However, relevant standards determine an unsuitable area up one chord length on both sides zone stress data analysis. study focuses investigating impact...

Many models have been proposed to simulate and understand the long-term evolution of meandering rivers. These analyze hydraulics in-channel flow river bank movement (erosion – accretion) process in different ways, but some gap still remain, e.g. stability simulations when width variations are accounted for. Here we a physics-statistical based approach evolution, that erosion deposition processes act independently, with specific shear stress threshold for each them. In addition, link...

Meandering planforms are commonly observed in fluvial systems. A meander consists of a series two alternate bends connected at the points inflexion by relatively short, almost straight crossings. The presence single-thread meandering rivers exhibiting continuous sequence such curves is widespread alluvial floodplains. study river meanders has thus fascinated scientific community, which, for long time, tried not only to classify them but also quantify complexity and model their morphodynamic...