FEM on the lookout for tidal energy trainee

French marine body France Energies Marines (FEM) is seeking an intern to research cable stability and sea floor hydrodynamics in relation to tidal energy developments.

As tidal energy sites are dominated by strong current velocities, little sediment is observed on the seabed which is generally rocky.

Consequently, the sea floor is stiff enough to prevent any cable embedding.

In this case, the cable is highly exposed to hydrodynamic loads and may have unstable behavior following fluid/structure interactions.

The numerical model of fluid/structure interactions needs to be improved accordingly in order to predict the occurrence of instabilities.

The first stage of the internship is to consolidate a proposed bibliography and methodology, and investigate a non-linear wave-current model against real data, FEM said.

If the model is predicted, a related need is to assess the cable’s ability to withstand the associated loads and displacements.

This requires validation through experimental testing in current/wave flumes, expected to be undertaken in 2018 to validate the models developed in the project as part of the internship.

Some CFD computation could also be performed in collaboration with the academic partner ENPC for the characterization of the freestream turbulent flow and the evaluation of the flow-cable interaction.

Following this, the intern will participate in the definition and implementation of an innovative numerical model for the cable loads evaluation addressing these flow dynamics, according to FEM.

As a final step, the intern will participate in the adaptation of the methodology and associated analytical models into an engineering software Principia’s Deeplines, and perform a cable stability study based on realistic test cases provided by the industrial partners.

The internship duration is approximately 6 months and the ideal starting date would be the beginning of 2018, FEM said.

The proposed scope of work for this internship is addressed in the STHYF project coordinated by FEM.

The project has been awarded funding dedicated to Marine Renewable Energy research in 2016 by the French national research agency ANR.