Test Tank Research Articles

Accuracy of BEMT and CFD on the power and trust prediction of tidal turbines

We compute the loads on a model-scale tidal turbine with Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, and we compare the results with towing tank tests. CFD simulations are wall-resolved, steady, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations with a k − ω SST turbulence model, where only a 120◦ wedge domain with a single blade is resolved in a non-inertial frame of reference. We undertake a detailed uncertainty analysis to identify the sources of error. BEM uncertainty is computed with a Monte-Carlo approach based on the differences in the predictions of CFD and Xfoil for the sectional lift and drag coefficients,while CFD uncertainty is based on the errors due to the finite number of iterations and spatial resolution. The maximum error of CFD (8.0%) with respect to the experimental data is about half of that of BEM (15.5%) for the power (CP) and the thrust (CT) coefficients and both errors are within 4.1% for CFD and within 7.2% for BEM around the optimal tip-speed ratio (λ = 6.03). The BEM error is within the uncertainty associated with the imprecise knowledge of the sectional lift and drag coefficients. The sectional forces from CFD and BEM disagree at both the tip and the root, resulting in a substantial BEM underprediction of CP at high λ values (up to 15.5%), yet CT is well predicted (within 2.3%) at every λ. The CFD uncertainty is markedly smaller than the error, which is thus mostly due to a modelling error such as the turbulence model, the neglected effect of the support structure, the free surface, and the imprecise knowledge of the input conditions. Overall these results suggest that CFD provides both a maximum error and uncertainty that are substantially smaller than that of BEM, but both methods suffer from modelling errors that require further investigation.

Experimental validation of rollout-based model predictive control for wave energy converters on a two-body, taut-moored point absorber prototype

Model predictive control (MPC) has proven its effectiveness in improving the energy capture efficiency of wave energy converters (WECs) under physical constraints. Further application of MPC requires to speed up its online computation for an industrial controller. To this end, the rollout-based MPC (RMPC) for WECs has been developed. The idea of rollout is to decouple the optimization horizon and the prediction horizon, so as to achieve long-horizon performance with short-horizon optimization. In this paper, the RMPC that has previously only been validated by simulation is further put through wave tank testing. The experimental device is a realistic two-body, taut-moored point absorber prototype. The RMPC is based on a simplified model of the device and implemented in real time with wave force estimation and prediction. Experiment results confirm RMPC’s energy efficiency as well as constraint satisfaction, so its computational advantage against conventional MPC is highlighted.

Preliminary performance assessment from towing tank testing of a horizontal-axis turbine

Following the Norwegian government’s goal to be a ‘low emission society’ by 2050, there is a significant push to develop offshore renewable energy; principally offshore wind, but also wave and tidal stream. The MarinLab towing tank at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway is 50 m long with a 3.0×2.2 m section and was inaugurated in 2016 as an educational and research facility, supporting local industry to achieve a low-carbon transition.
 To advance knowledge of aero- or hydrodynamic interaction of future turbines for both wind and tidal stream energy, a model scale test-bed horizontal axis turbine has been developed. This turbine will enable testing of rotor diameters typically in the range of 500-600 mm. The turbine is instrumented with a torque-thrust sensor of 5 Nm/100 N capacity, custom-manufactured by Marin in the Netherlands. The turbine is speed regulated via a 4096 counts angular encoder connected to a 200 W Maxon EC-i brushless motor.
 Before testing new rotor geometries, a benchmarking study is being undertaken with an existing known geometry. The benchmark rotor has diameter, D=700 mm and employs the same NACA 63418 airfoil as Mycek et al. (2014), allowing comparison. Unlike Mycek et al. (2014), the nacelle has a nominal diameter of 90 mm and length 760 mm. The size of the rotor risks exceeding the capacity of the torque sensor, such that maximum tow-speed is limited to 0.8 m/s. The benchmark blades are machined from solid aluminium in a four-axis CNC milling machine, following a method similar to Payne et al. (2017). Due to machining limitations, the minimum trailing edge thickness is specified as 0.2 mm. The final surface finish is achieved by manual polishing, and the final dimensions, quantified using a Hexagon ROMER Absolute laser scanner, are found to be within ±0.2 mm accuracy. Future blade sets will typically have a smaller diameter, allowing for 3D printing and consistency of surface finish.
 A blade-element momentum model has been run with Prandtl tip and hub losses and 0° pitch (Fig. I). Lift and drag coefficients were calculated for a range of chord Reynolds numbers using XFOIL, for angles of attack between -5 to 16° and extrapolated to ±180° with Viterna’s method. Due to difficulties in estimating laminar-turbulent transition around critical Reynolds numbers, there is uncertainty in the XFOIL coefficients. At peak TSR, the chord-based Reynolds number is approximately 280k at 3/4 span. Curves for both Rec =250k (solid) and 500k (dashed) with Ncrit = 9 are presented, showing a significant drop in performance for lower Reynolds numbers, due to a collapse in Cl/Cd. Initial tests were conducted in near- zero ambient turbulence, though passive turbulence grids are available for future testing. Reasonable agreement on CT is observed when corrected for blockage according to Bahaj (2007), and further assessment will provide results on CP, tower loads and wake recovery.

Analysis of data from the full-scale prototype testing of the WASP – A novel wave measuring buoy.

To assess the viability of locations for wave energy farms, and design effective coastal protection measures, knowledge of local wave regimes is required. Current regime-measuring devices are expensive, and the aim of the WASP Project is to develop a low-cost, self-powering wave-measuring device. The Wave-Activated Sensor Power Buoy (WASP) comprises a floating body with a moonpool. The relative motion of the water level in the moonpool to the buoy will pressurise and depressurise the air above the water column, which will be used to drive a bidirectional turbine in the manner of an oscillating water column, which will operate in conjunction with a generator to recharge an on-board battery pack. It has previously been demonstrated through tank testing of scale-models that a sea-state may be estimated from measurements of the pressure within the air above the water column under controlled conditions [1]. Important statistical parameters relating to the sea state, such as the significant wave height, zero-cross period et cetera. may then be estimated from the spectral moments of the wave spectrum [2].
 This paper seeks to validate the use of measurements taken of the pressure in a volume of air contained in a chamber above an oscillating water column (OWC) (which is in communication with the ocean) to estimate the sea state which induces motion of the water column.
 The WASP was deployed from March to July 2019 at the Smart Bay test facility in Galway Bay, Ireland. The ¼ Scale test site was previously characterised by B Cahill UCC 2011 [3] using data captured by the Marine Institute Datawell WaveRider buoy from 2006 to 2011. Pressure signal data recorded by the WASP at a frequency of 8Hz was processed in to 30-minutes blocks to reflect the presented data from the WaveRider buoy, from which the WASP was moored a distance of 400m from during deployment. Power Density Spectra for 6,500 thirty-minute sea states were generated and an inverse transfer function between the WASP and the WaveRider produced. This allowed for the calculation of the associated significant wave height, Hs, and zero-crossing period, Tz, from the WASP pressure data for each thirty-minute block of data. At this time, outliers and bimodal spectra were removed to simplify the analysis, and the data was binned based on Hs and Tz ranges. For each bin, average inverse transfer functions were generated. A Bretschneider Spectrum [4] was produced using the Hs and Tz values from the WaveRider data for the respective binned WASP data. An average transfer function was then generated between the Bretschneider models and the corresponding sea states for the WASP. Using this final transfer function, a scatter plot of Hs and Tz for the test site was generated and compared against the previously produced scatter plot from the initial resource characterisation of the Galway Bay Test Site in 2011 in order to determine if the WASP is capable of measuring sea-states through measurement of time series pressure signals in the volume of air above the water column in the OWC.

Enabling the Ocean Internet of Things with Renewable Marine Energy

Marine renewable energy can play an integral role in reducing the cost and complexity of collecting data from the oceans, and enhancing its exploitation. The processing and transmission of data at sea may be modelled as an `internet of things' (IoT) application. The `thing' is any offshore device which can collect and process data in-situ, while the `internet' represents the medium for transmitting data. IoT is differentiated from other internet based communication paradigms by the constraints on the system. These constraints are typically limited energy budgets and computing power, intermittent and low-bandwidth connectivity, and limited physical access. While land based IoT applications are already well served by a wide selection of hardware and software components, the needs of offshore IoT applications are not well served. Utilizing marine energy can advance the adoption of IoT at sea by providing in-situ energy generation, whilst also benefitting from the same technology. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland funded `BlueBox' project aims to overcome barriers to entry for applying IoT technologies to offshore sensing by developing Ocean IoT (OIoT) hardware and software solutions. Features of the BlueBox system include modular offshore focussed hardware, no-code configuration and control of peripherals (such as sensors and actuators), duplex transmission of data using multiple media, serverless cloud server architecture and an edge computing framework. This paper presents an overview of BlueBox, tank tests for system validation of a prototype wave-energy powered ocean-observing platform, and a discussion of future applications of the technology.

Battery-free temperature logger for deep-sea hydrothermal fluids based on heat pipe heat exchangers and thermoelectric generators.

Long-term in situ measurements of the temperature of hydrothermal fluids have great significance in the research of seafloor hydrothermal activities. Herein, we developed a self-powered battery-free temperature logger for measuring and recording the temperature of hydrothermal fluids. A gravity heat pipe made of titanium alloy was employed as the heat-conducting element of the temperature logger to capture heat from a hydrothermal vent and transfer it to the thermoelectric unit. The thermoelectric generator used herein converted the temperature difference into electrical energy to power the circuit of the temperature logger. Numerical analyses and experiments were performed to investigate the performance of the heat pipe and temperature logger. Results show that the temperature logger can realize self-powered starting at a temperature of >76 °C during a tank test. This paper presents a discussion on a new instrument for temperature measurements of deep-sea hydrothermal fluids.

Influence of type of geosynthetic material interaction on shallow anchor pullout capacity

A series of laboratory model pullout tests were performed in the present study on poorly graded sands having different properties of S1 and S2, at a relative density (Rd) of 70%. The tests were performed in a test tank having a size of 1000 mm × 1000 mm × 1000 mm using a circular-shaped anchor size (D) of 100 mm. The depth (L) of the anchor plate during the model tests was maintained as shallow i.e., L/D = 4. To improve the plate anchor uplift capacity, the lab scale model tests were performed in sand beds of S1 and S2 using low tensile strength polypropylene geotextile (PPGT) as a reinforcement material. Furthermore, a series of openings were made to the PPGT which is named GOP (geotextile with openings) to act as a geogrid material. Irrespective of the type of sand and reinforcement, a single number of reinforcement layers having a size of 5D was used and placed directly above the anchor plate for all the model tests. The test results revealed that sand S1 shows higher improvement compared to sand S2 for both the cases of unreinforced and PPGT geotextile reinforced conditions. It happened due to the soil physical property of higher unit weight of soil of S1. Furthermore, the anchor ultimate pull-out capacity of sand S1 with GOP is 1.63 and 1.15 times higher than that of unreinforced and PPGT geotextile-reinforced sands. Even though, the tensile strength and stiffness of GOP in comparison with PPGT is almost lesser than a factor of 3. It could be happened due to the difference in the soil-geosynthetic interactions and reinforcement mechanisms.

PIV wake survey of a drone propeller for amphibious applications

Aerial and underwater drones are one of the most attractive technologies to a large number of applications, extending from surveillance of natural reserves to the monitoring of structures. For these reasons, innovative and uncommon applications are constantly appearing. Within this context, drones capable to operate continuously and efficiently in air and water can extend the standard aerial capabilities allowing underwater inspections of harbour structures, pipelines or marine reserves. For this reason, an attractive characteristic for drones is the capability to manoeuvre in different fluids as air and water. This article presents an experimental campaign, carried out both in a towing tank and in a cavitation tunnel, aimed at study the fluid-dynamics of an aeronautic drone-propeller in off-design conditions. Dynamometric, PIV and Stereo-PIV tests are carried out to evaluate the aeronautic propeller functioning in water and optimize it for amphibious missions. In particular, the forces are measured for different advance ratios J provided by varying both rotational regime and free stream velocity, in open water conditions (Towing tank tests) and in confined water (Cavitation tunnel tests). PIV and Stereo-PIV fields, acquired in the Cavitation tunnel, allow us to investigate the behaviour of the propeller in the water in a number of selected, operative conditions.

Saffron stigma extract and crocin play an important neuroprotective role in therapeutic measures against benzo[a]pyrene-induced behavioral alterations in zebrafish

Saffron is a well-known expensive spice, which has many pharmacological properties against a variety of ailments. Saffron stigma and leaf contain apocarotenoids and bioactive phytochemicals having therapeutic potential against human disorders. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most common toxins in today’s aquatic environment. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a high molecular weight PAHs prototype, and reported as a potent neurotoxicant, which is profoundly contaminating the environment. The present study investigated the therapeutic efficacy of Saffron stigma extracts and crocin, on B[a]P-induced behavioral changes, altered antioxidant activities, and neurodegeneration in zebrafish. The behavioral responses monitored through the light-dark preference test and novel tank diving test suggested that B[a]P treated zebrafish group showed alteration in anxiolytic-like behavior. Animals exhibited their native behavior when treated alone with Saffron Stigma Extract (SSE) and crocin, an apocarotenoid which also reduced the altered behavior induced by B[a]P. The SSE and crocin stimulated the antioxidant activities with an accumulation of reduced glutathione and catalase enzymes, indicating a protective role against B[a]P-induced oxidative stress and behavioral deficits. The histopathological studies showed the percentage change of pyknotic cell counts in the Periventricular Gray Zone region of the Optic Tectum was 1.74 folds high in B[a]P treated animals as compared to control. Furthermore, the treatment of SSE and crocin reduced the pyknosis process induced by B[a]P-mediated neurodegeneration, possibly due to a better protective mechanism. Future studies may reveal the detailed mechanisms of action of potent SSE and crocin like bioactive compounds having neuroprotective potentials against neurodegenerative diseases.

3D simulations and laboratory experiments to evaluate a dynamic airbag valve

Airbag pressure determines the restraint effect during a vehicle crash. The pressure required to restrain the occupant depends on pre-crash detection, collision parameters and the occupant’s mass and position. This work modulated airbag pressure for optimum safety using a novel airbag control valve for cold-gas inflators. This paper evaluates the valve’s stationary and dynamic performances for Helium by 3D flow simulations using a pressure-based solver in ANSYS Fluent® and SAE J2238 laboratory tank tests. The predicted and measured tank pressures for the fully open (stationary) valve were agreed by an average 93.73% with an excellent correlation (correlation coefficient, R = 0.9995). For the first dynamic operation with 10 ms switching time, the results agreed by 92.78% with R = 0.9975. In the second test with 30 ms switching, 83.67% agreement was observed with R = 0.9893. The research concluded that the valve modulates the bag pressure and is implementable in vehicles.

Development of rapid and effective oil-spill response system integrated with oil collection, recovery and storage devices for small oil spills at initial stage: From lab-scale study to field-scale test

In the present study, through the laboratory-to-field scale experiments and trials, we report the development and evaluation of an integrated oil-spill response system capable of oil collection, recovery (separation), and storage, for a timely and effective response to the initial stage of oil-spill accidents. With the laboratory-scale experiments, first, we evaluate that the water-surface waves tend to abate the oil recovery rate below 80% (it is above 95% for the optimized configuration without the waves), which is overcome by installing the hydrophilic (and oleophobic) porous structures at the inlet and/or near the water outlet of the separator. In the follow-up meso-scale towing tank tests with a scaled-up prototype, (i) we optimize the maneuverability of the assembled system depending on the speed and existence of waves, and (ii) evaluate the oil recovery performance (more than 80% recovery for the olive oil and Bunker A fuel oil). Although more thorough investigations and improvements are needed, a recovery rate of over 50% can be achieved for the newly enforced marine fuel oil (low sulfur fuel oil, LSFO) that was not targeted at the time of development. Finally, we perform a series of field tests with a full-scale system, to evaluate the rapid deployment and operational stability in the real marine environment. The overall floating balance and coordination of each functional part are sustained to be stable during the straight and rotary maneuvers up to the speed of 5 knots. Also, the collection of the floating debris (mimicking the spilled oil) is demonstrated in the field test. The present system is now being tested by the Korea Coast Guard and we believe that it will be very powerful to prevent the environmental damage due to the oil spills.

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF MODIFIED ANGLE OF ENTRANCE AND DUCKTAIL ADDITION OF THE 1,500 GT RO-RO FERRY HULL VALIDATED WITH SHIP MODEL RESISTANCE TEST

The main problem of ferry ships is maintaining the speed due to ship resistance. There are many efforts to reduce the resistance by modifications of them. This study aims to reduce resistance due to modification of the hull form on the bow Angle of Entrance (AoE) and ducktail addition at the transom stern. The object of the research is a 1,500 GT ro-ro ferry. The AoE minimizes wave resistance and improves flow patterns, while the ducktail reduces the negative effects of the circulation zone on the wetted transom so that waves and wake are reduced. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to analyze these modifications. The final results of the numerical simulation are then verified by the ship model resistance test in the towing tank. Tests were conducted in calm water conditions at a draft of 3.30 meters with a speed variation of 10 - 18 knots. The results show that with the combination of AoE and Ducktail, at ship speeds of 13 to 18 knots, the reduction in resistance from CFD ranges from 13.13% - 16.69% while the experimental results range from 16.00% - 16.54%. While separately the AoE modification is between 8.89% – 12.19% and ducktail is 3.12% -3,62%.

Glucosyl hesperidin exhibits more potent anxiolytic activity than hesperidin accompanied by the attenuation of noradrenaline induction in a zebrafish model.

Anxiety is a symptom of various mental disorders, including depression. Severe anxiety can significantly affect the quality of life. Hesperidin (Hes), a flavonoid found in the peel of citrus fruits, reportedly has various functional properties, one of which is its ability to relieve acute and chronic stress. However, Hes is insoluble in water, resulting in a low absorption rate in the body and low bioavailability. Glucosyl hesperidin (GHes) is produced by adding one glucose molecule to hesperidin. Its water solubility is significantly higher than that of Hes, which is expected to improve its absorption into the body and enhance its effects. However, its efficacy in alleviating anxiety has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in this study, the anxiolytic effects of GHes were examined in a zebrafish model of anxiety. Long-term administration of diets supplemented with GHes did not cause any toxicity in the zebrafish. In the novel tank test, zebrafish in the control condition exhibited an anxious behavior called freezing, which was significantly suppressed in GHes-fed zebrafish. In the black-white preference test, which also induces visual stress, GHes-fed zebrafish showed significantly increased swimming time in the white side area. Furthermore, in tactile (low water-level stress) and olfactory-mediated stress (alarm substance administration test) tests, GHes suppressed anxious behavior, and these effects were stronger than those of Hes. Increased noradrenaline levels in the brain generally cause freezing; however, in zebrafish treated with GHes, the amount of noradrenaline after stress was lower than that in the control group. Activation of c-fos/ERK/Th, which is upstream of the noradrenaline synthesis pathway, was also suppressed, while activation of the CREB/BDNF system, which is vital for neuroprotective effects, was significantly increased. These results indicate that GHes has a more potent anxiolytic effect than Hes in vivo, which may have potential applications in drug discovery and functional food development.

Sparse Bayesian Relevance Vector Machine Identification Modeling and Its Application to Ship Maneuvering Motion Prediction

In order to establish a sparse and accurate ship motion prediction model, a novel Bayesian probability prediction model based on relevance vector machine (RVM) was proposed for nonparametric modeling. The sparsity, effectiveness, and generalization of RVM were verified from two aspects: (1) the processed Sinc function dataset, and (2) the tank test dataset of the KRISO container ship (KCS) model. The KCS was taken as the main research plant, and the motion prediction models of KCS were obtained. The ε-support vector regression and υ-support vector regression were taken as the compared algorithms. The sparsity, effectiveness, and generalization of the three algorithms were analyzed. According to the trained prediction models of the three algorithms, the number of relevance vectors was compared with the number of support vectors. From the prediction results of the Sinc function and tank test datasets, the highest percentage of relevance vectors in the trained sample was below 17%. The final prediction results indicated that the proposed nonparametric models had good prediction performance. They could ensure good sparsity while ensuring high prediction accuracy. Compared with the SVR, the prediction accuracy can be improved by more than 14.04%, and the time consumption was also relatively lower. A training model with good sparsity can reduce prediction time. This is essential for the online prediction of ship motion.

Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Diclofenac with Curcumin for Neuronal Restoration and Repair Against Scopolamine Induced Dementia in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Background: Clinical studies have already revealed the ubiquitous neuroprotective role of curcumin in neuronal deterioration, but it cannot be used alone due to its truncated bioavailability. Currently, many such approaches are functional, which overcome this issue either by increasing the solubility or absorption. These approaches carry a costlier treatment. One more tactic is present but less focused i.e., by limiting the intestine and liver enzymatic metabolism; by this approach, curcumin will be more available for its beneficial outcome. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and diclofenac on the neuroprotective effects of curcumin against scopolamine-induced dementia. Methods: Physical parameters involved a novel tank test, T maze test, whereas neurochemical parameters include brain oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase (Ache) inhibition activity in a zebrafish dementia model. Results: Our results demonstrated that curcumin with Lactobacillus rhamnosus and diclofenac significantly (p<0.05) reduced anxiety, memory deficits, and brain oxidative stress compared to the alone curcumin- treated group. Conclusion: This result approves that curcumin with L.rhamnosus and diclofenac have superior activity compared to curcumin alone. However, further clinical studies are needed to validate these findings.

Vasotocin expression is associated with social preference development of the medaka fish

The neurohypophysial peptide arginine vasotocin (VT) and its mammalian ortholog, arginine vasopressin, function in physiological and behavioral events. These functions have been identified in neuroendocrinological studies using adult animals; however, there is little information on whether VT is associated with social behavior development in fish. Here, we examined social preference in medaka fish of various ages and investigated how VT expression changes during development. The 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-week post-hatching (wph) larvae, juveniles, and 5-month-old adults were individually introduced to the grouped fish of each age group, and the social preference index (SPI) was compared among ages based on the time spent in the interaction zone near the grouped fish in a test tank. The SPI was significantly higher in the 4-wph larvae, 8-wph juveniles, and adult fish than in the 1- and 2-wph larvae. VT expression increased with age from 1 to 4 wph. Similarly, the expression was high in 4-wph, 8-wph, and adult fish. Furthermore, it was also found that the SPI and the VT expression decreased in the socially isolated larva during the 4 weeks after hatching compared to the levels in the grouped 4-wph larvae. These findings suggest that social preference develops with age and that conspecifics are necessary for social development in medaka larvae. Furthermore, our results suggest that VT is associated with the development of social preferences in medaka.

Ship motions and unsteady pressures on ship hull in oblique waves estimated by potential-based solvers

The seakeeping performances in oblique wave conditions, such as ship motions and unsteady pressures on a ship hull, are getting more important, recently. These physical quantities are used for estimating loads induced by waves and evaluating the safety of a ship. Thanks to the evaluation of various incident wave angles, a rational ship design with sufficient safety and less construction cost can be realized. Therefore, the estimation by numerical schemes in those conditions is demanded for the ship design. However, schemes were usually validated through the comparison with experimental data in only heading wave conditions because few towing tanks can carry out the experiment for a ship advancing in oblique waves. The computed results in oblique waves should be validated well before the industrial usage of schemes. Although Computational Fluid Dynamics is useful to know the seakeeping performance in oblique waves thanks to the development of computer performance in these years, it takes much longer time than the schemes based on a potential theory. For this reason, three solvers based on the potential theory, the Salvesen-Tuck-Faltinsen method, the Green function method, and the Rankine panel method, are validated by comparing ship motions and unsteady pressure on the ship hull obtained from towing tank tests in oblique wave conditions.

Experimental Study on the Ice Resistance of a Naval Surface Ship with a Non-Icebreaking Bow

With the shrinking of Arctic sea ice due to global climate change, potential access to Arctic waters has increased for non-typical icebreaking or strengthened ships. Numerous studies have been conducted on hull form designs and ice resistance predictions for ships with typical icebreaking bows, but published research for ships with non-icebreaking bows in ice is still rare. The objective of this study was to investigate the ice resistance of a naval surface ship with a non-icebreaking bow through model tests in an ice tank. The naval surface combatant concept DTMB 5415 was used as the ship model. The tests were conducted under different levels of ice thicknesses and speeds. During the tests, the total resistance of the model ship was measured, accompanied by monitoring of the ice load at the stem area with a flexible tactile sensor sheet. Compared with the test results of icebreaker models in former studies, the total ice resistance, as well as the stem ice load, of the present ship was significantly higher. The ice crushing resistance component in the stem area accounted for more than 60% of the total resistance in the ice. Discussions on the applicability of a semi-empirical formula for predicting the ice resistance of the present ship are also presented. Keinonen’s formula was found to be relatively more consistent with the predictions produced by model tests, and a preliminary modification was proposed to obtain more accurate predictions.

Underwater Acoustic Intensity Analysis using Noise Assisted-MEMD with Varying Distances

With current developments, underwater communication using acoustic signals is widely used. Many things need to be prepared to support a reliable underwater communication system, such as taking measurements in a test tank to find out the correct measurement configuration. Underwater acoustic intensity measurements, which are detailed in this paper, are performed in the test tank using distance variation schemes. Measurements were made at various distances of 4, 10, 20, and 50 meters from the signal source. The hydrophone that was used has a sensitivity of -180 dB re 1V/µPa. The hydrophone was placed at a depth of 2 meters below the surface of the water in the test tank, which divided the test tank depth in half to ensure that reflections from the bottom and the surface were kept to a minimum. However, the problem is that there are noisy signals at different frequencies. This paper proposes a method using Noise Assisted - Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition (NA-MEMD) to decompose the signal and then calculate the sound intensity. The result shows that an increase in the distance between the transmitter and receiver, also causes a change in the intensity with an average change of 0.467 dB/meter. It is concluded that the NA-MEMD approach was shown to be successful in decomposing the intended signal from the noise to equalize the quality of the signal received at different distances, and the correlation between intensity value and change in distance is resilient, with a correlation value of 0.98, indicating a very strong correlation.

Numerical investigation of a Wave-Powered Vertical Profiler

The wave-power vertical profiler harvests surface wave energy through a buoy, and the converts the wave energy into a kinetic energy of a vehicle (underwater vehicle with sensors for profiling) via a mooring cable. The vehicle is aided by a unidirectional motion mechanism to submerge and surface in water. In this paper, a numerical simulation method is proposed to analyze the motion characteristics of the wave-power vertical profiler and reconstruct the entire moving process.Firstly, numerical work is conducted using Ansys Fluent software to investigate the response of the buoy to Stokes waves of different heights. Secondly, the relationship between the underwater vehicle's motion velocity and fluid resistance are studied. Finally, the numerical simulation results are combined using Matlab software to reconstruct the motion process and draw corresponding curves. Compared with the results from the water tank tests, our method can effectively reconstruct the vehicle's motion, with an accuracy rate of 96.5% in simulating the velocity values during the surfacing phase and a good match with the experimental results under natural sea conditions. We found that wave height is the determining factor for the vehicle's sinking time; the weight of the counterweight affects the vehicle's maximum sinking speed; the vehicle's net buoyancy and drag coefficient determine its surfacing speed, while the weight of the buoy can be ignored. Based on these conclusions, we recommend a counterweight weight of 100 N when the wave height is less than 0.6 m and an increase in weight when it exceeds 0.6 m. The recommended net buoyancy value for the vehicle is between 10 and 40 N, and the recommended buoy weight is 65 kg. We hope that these findings will be helpful for the design of wave energy buoys.