DSA offers its partners services and engineering software that can greatly increase the potential success of an in-stream tidal energy project.
Engineering services for tidal energy
Cable laying planning and analysis Cable laying operations in high current environments can be simulated with ProteusDS. DSA uses ProteusDS in conjunction with ship RAO data, custom current profiles and DSA’s finite-element cable model, to assist in planning cable laying operations.
Device deployment and recovery Determining how a device will respond to deployments in high currents can be determined using ProteusDS. DSA can optimize your operations by simulating timing-critical deployment and recovery procedures.
Mooring analysis For non-gravity base type devices, DSA can perform mooring analysis to size the mooring lines and optimize the mooring layout.
Mooring line tension measurement Using DSA’s Subsea Tension Loggers (STLs), DSA can measure the actual tensions in mooring lines or cables to test in-situ device behavior.
Tidal energy device hydrodynamics DSA has the expertise to analyse the hydrodynamic performance of tidal power devices. Using hydrofoil data and dynamic simulation, DSA assists in optimizing designs before expensive prototypes are constructed.
ProteusDS simulation of a payload deployment in high tidal current with RAO driven ship motion motion
ProteusDS and tidal energy
ProteusDS is DSA’s dynamic simulation software that engineers can use to design structures, moorings or plan operations in the ocean. ProteusDS excels at the analysis of devices, moorings, device controllers in fluid environments. ProteusDS offers several key advantages over other mooring and flexible structure simulation software packages.
Benefits of ProteusDS for in-stream tidal energy analysis
Support Licenses of ProteusDS come bundled with support hours which can be used to develop customized modules or provide in-depth training to users. DSA prides itself in providing the support that customers need to make the most of their investment in ProteusDS.
Location With offices in Halifax, NS and Victoria, BC, DSA can support users of ProteusDS in two of the world’s prime tidal energy locations: the Bay of Fundy, and the straights and passages east of Vancouver Island.
Controller design Control is an important part of marine renewable energy technology development. Built in support for the development of custom controllers allows users to rapidly test different control methodologies. This feature is very useful for the development of both wave and tidal energy converters. Users of ProteusDS can use their support hours to build custom modules into ProteusDS that will reduce the amount of time a user would otherwise spend trying to get an off-the-shelf mooring analysis software package working for their application.
Analysis of operations DSA has partnered with GRI Simulations to allow the high-fidelity finite-element models developed in ProteusDS to be used with GRI’s VROV simulator technology (www.grisim.com). The VROV simulator can be used with ProteusDS to test tidal energy deployment and recovery scenarios before spending time and money on the water performing high risk operations. Potential simulation scenarios include subsea cable laying, tidal energy device installation, tidal energy device deployment and recovery and ROV repair and construction operations. Using VROV with ProteusDS leverages more than a decade of experience in operator training for critical subsea construction operations. More than just ROV pilot training, the VROV simulator can simulate ships, sea bed operations and can include real site bathymetry. VROV is fully interactive, with advanced contact dynamics, and runs in real time.
Customization and DLL version DSA has designed ProteusDS to be customizable and maintainable. This allows DSA to add custom modules that might contain a device developer’s proprietary algorithms. In addition, DSA has a DLL version of ProteusDS that can be used in conjunction with a user’s own software.
ProteusDS cable laying simulation