Oliver Morgan-Clague
Oliver is a Cohort 2 doctoral researcher with the EPSRC/NERC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy and the Environment, hosted by the University of Hull in partnership with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
His research focuses on numerical modelling of the blade manufacturing process in order to optimise production for strength and sustainability.
Supervisors:
Prof James Gilbert, Director of the Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull
Dr Peter Osborne, Senior Technical Fellow in the Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMRC), University of Sheffield
Prof Robert M Dorrell, Professor of Fluid Mechanics, Loughborough University
Dr Charlie Lloyd, Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, University of Hull
Soeren Hendrichson, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
The Challenge
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy make the world’s largest single piece composite structure in the form of its newest generation of wind turbine blades. However, as the demand for renewable energy pushes the size of these parts ever larger, this also increases stress on their manufacturing facilities, methods and staff. SGRE recognised a need to innovate their tried-and-tested methods for the design and manufacture of their blades in order to meet future energy production requirements.
The blades are made from composites with a glass/carbon reinforcement and epoxy resin matrix, which is infused into these reinforcement structures under a vacuum. The process that governs this is complex and interacting; with thermal, chemical and viscous processes occurring of which many are not fully understood.
The Approach
The aim of this PhD is to investigate, understand and model these interactions not only to develop understanding of the current process, but to build robust and flexible tools that can be applied to both current and future blades to meet a range of potential challenges.
Sponsorship from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy provided the opportunity to work closely with colleagues at their blade factories in both Hull, UK and Aalborg, Denmark. This allowed for models, simulations and physical validation of the casting process and resin flow to be based on specific blade designs and key parameters, identified in collaboration with our SGRE partners.
The research worked towards a robust modelling system, able to simulate both ‘good’ and ‘defect’ scenarios. Through rigorous testing of the system against actual data from the manufacturing environment, the project worked towards optimisation of casting parameters for maximised quality and consistency of current and potential blade designs.
The Impact
Thanks to the close collaboration with SGRE, the University of Hull and the AMRC, I have driven the understanding, testing and modelling of these core processes to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5/6; developing them to a level that they are ready to be implemented into the blade production/design environments by SGRE.
Work beyond the project aims to aid the implementation of these models and processes, transitioning from research in the industrial context, to fully implemented TRL 9 solutions; leading to a significant reduction in processing time, having a strong positive impact on blade output as well as giving further insight into blade manufacturing processes and potential future optimisations.
21-22 May 2024: ORE Supergen Masterclass at the University of Hull on Sensing for Offshore Renewable Energy Structures, featured my work on the development of lab-scale composite manufacturing and monitoring techniques for offshore wind.
23-26 May 2023: Wind Energy Science Conference (WESC), paper on the “Development of a numerical solver to predict resin infusion behaviour during wind turbine blade manufacture”.
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For an informal discussion, call +44 (0) 1482 463331
or contact auracdt@hull.ac.uk
