Maritime simulator transforms renewables research

A game-changing testing facility which could play a critical role in the global sectors has been installed at the University of Plymouth, UK.
The Maritime Simulation Laboratory brings together a network of high-tech components that can be used to run a series of maritime scenarios in real time. At its heart is a simulator which will be used to simulate, test and optimise marine operations throughout the lifecycle of floating offshore wind installations.
Named the Kongsberg K-Sim Dynamic Positioning Simulator, the facility can accurately model any maritime geographical area in the world, including data on terrain, tides, currents, wind, sea state, precipitation and ice. It will allow trained technicians to create new craft that appear realistic and exhibit accurate hydrodynamic and aerodynamic functionality.
Project teams will be able to see the strains and loads being placed on simulated objects by different weather and sea states. It can also be programmed so that maritime objects – including buoys, cables, anchors and docks – can interact with the simulated environment and with each other
"In sectors such as offshore renewables and marine autonomy, being able to perform these tests in a virtual environment will be critical to existing and future research.”
Dr Adan Lopez-Santander, lecturer in navigation and maritime science, said: “This simulator, and the software we have designed for it, is exceptional.
"It gives us the capacity to replicate in real time what is happening anywhere on the ocean and in any given conditions. It also enables us to monitor the stresses being placed on individual structures, and how they will affect those structures' interaction with other devices.
"In sectors such as offshore renewables and marine autonomy, being able to perform these tests in a virtual environment will be critical to existing and future research and development.”
Professor Kevin Jones, executive dean of science and engineering, said, “This simulator is a genuine gamechanger across a number of critically and globally important sectors.
"We now have unrivalled capabilities to assess how individual devices and collective infrastructure will respond to unique ocean conditions, but beyond that, and in tandem with our existing facilities, we have the power to both predict and overcome a number of key challenges facing these sectors. It means that, now more than ever, we can play a crucial role in advancing marine and maritime innovation.”