Aquaterra is undertaking a Knowledge Transfer Secondment (KTS) scheme with the Computational Structural Mechanics Lab led by Dr Fehmi Cirak at the Cambridge University Engineering Department to assist with the development of their analysis services.
Aquaterra Energy opened a Cambridge office in December 2011 and has been keen to build links with Cambridge University. Dr Andrew Lennon, who heads up Aquaterra’s Cambridge office, presented a research seminar to the University’s Engineering Department shortly after the office opened and the opportunity to work together soon transpired.
The EPSRC funded KTS scheme will support the secondment of one full-time Research Associate, Dr Thomas Rüberg, to facilitate knowledge transfer from Cambridge University to Aquaterra Energy. The chosen research subject is Computational Analysis of Fluid-structure Interaction. Aquaterra identified that the continuing drive for energy generation from marine sources has created new and distinct challenges for the engineering of riser systems and other subsea structures which Aquaterra Energy supplies. The project will push the level of knowledge at the company beyond what is possible with the state-of-the-art engineering analysis software that Aquaterra Energy currently uses.
Aquaterra will benefit from the secondment through access to world-leading research and expertise. Dr Andrew Lennon said, “ The secondment scheme is particularly useful for Aquaterra as it provides a deeper exchange of knowledge than is possible through a consultancy assignment or through an internal project.”
The scheme will also enhance Cambridge University Engineering Department’s industrial links in computational structural mechanics and will help to identify avenues for further research.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , March 30, 2012; Image: Aquaterra