PhD student Oscar Festa presents at CORE 2021
On the 26th of August 2021, I presented the first paper of my PhD so far at the 5th International Conference for Renewable Energy (CORE). With all previous editions hosted in Glasgow, the 2021 conference was held online to facilitate compliance with COVID restrictions. Comprised of 35 presentations over two days, CORE 2021 addressed the latest developments in research activities regarding innovative, cost efficient and sustainable offshore renewable energy technologies.
The conference began with a particularly interesting keynote lecture by Professor Dalsgaard Sørensen from Aalborg University in Denmark. The presentation was entitled ‘Probabilistic design of Wind Turbines’ and described a probability-based design method (as opposed to traditional safety factor- based design) for structural wind turbine components, as a means of optimising reliability whilst minimising costs. Over the next two days, presentations covered a broad range of topics relating to the design, installation, monitoring, fault diagnosis and fatigue assessment of offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy devices.
One of the perks of presenting online: a quick rehearsal in a nearby mountain hut the evening before the conference!
In the afternoon of the second day of the conference, I presented my paper entitled ‘Comparative parametric analysis of extensible catenary mooring systems for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs)’. This research concerns extensible moorings for FOWTs, which can reduce the peak loading imparted on moorings and anchors, enabling smaller, more cost-effective anchors. My 15-minute presentation – delivered from my family home in the French Alps – offered insights into relationships between mooring line stiffness, tension reduction, and platform displacements. The paper will be available in the conference proceedings in due course.
As it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture during PhD research, CORE 2021 was a great opportunity to see how my project fits into the wider seascape of offshore renewables. It was exciting to see so many bright and enthusiastic people working on all aspects and life cycle stages of offshore renewable energy.