A collaboration between colleagues from Heriot-Watt’s Ocean Systems Laboratory and the Smart Systems Group has secured funding to deliver a human-robotics hybrid solution for the maintenance and operation of offshore wind farms.
The Heriot-Watt team, which includes Dr David Flynn, Dr Keith Brown and Professor David Lane, is part of a consortium of experts sharing a £4 million grant to create remote inspection and repair technologies using robotics and autonomous systems.
These will be used to inspect the condition of subsea power cables, identify problems early and ultimately, extend their lifespan.
Dr David Flynn , director of the Smart Systems Group (SSG) at Heriot-Watt University, said: “The UK government has set ambitious decarbonization targets, increasing the present 5GW generated by offshore wind farms to 40GW by 2050. The costs of achieving these targets have, until now, focused on the capital outlay for wind turbines, but budgets have largely ignored the operation and maintenance of wind farm assets, including subsea cabling.
“By integrating technologies, such as autonomous underwater vehicles and advanced sonar technology, we will gain a new insight into the condition of these subsea assets.”
Dr Flynn added: “ We aim to provide the UK with a competitive advantage within the highly lucrative offshore energy market. Our hybrid, human-robotics, technology will seek to protect those most vulnerable to increases in the cost of energy by reducing the costs faced by both tax and bill payers.”
The consortium brings together experts from the following universities: Manchester (project lead), Warwick, Cranfield, Durham and Heriot-Watt University.
The £4 million research grant includes a £1 million industry contribution and £3 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).