Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/F062583/1
Title:	Real-time wave field mapping for the offshore renewable energy industry
Principal Investigator:	Bruce, Dr T
Other Investigators:	Bryden, Professor I
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr BG Sellar
Project Partners:	Heriot-Watt University Maritime Institute Queen's University of Belfast Wavebob Ltd
Department:	Sch of Engineering
Organisation:	University of Edinburgh
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 April 2008	Ends:	30 September 2009	Value (£):	237,809
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Energy - Marine & Hydropower
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 18 Jan 2008 Feasibility Studies for Energy Research II Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Knowledge of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the next and subsequent waves to act on marine energy converters is essential for optimal control and ultimately, survivability. Currently, it is possible neither to measure nor reliably infer these. The University of Edinburgh has deployed, for the first time, a flexible, optoelectronic senor ribbon (using ShapeTapeTM technology) in its wave flumes. Previous ShapeTape (tm) applications had been limited to human body shape measurement for athlete training and sports research. The University of Edinburgh research has shown the sensor to be capable of resolving, in the 2-d flume, wave elevation data, giving measurements of individual (and spectral) wave heights, periods, shapes and steepnesses with high correlation with the best available wet techniques.Ultimately, a lattice of these sensor ribbons could allow real-time surface mapping of the advancing waves in fully mixed seas and unlock new opportunities for anticipatory adaptive control of converter response. This is not a near-market technology. This proposal seeks to determine the feasibility of achieving these ultimate benefits via this technology. As such, it will extend the measuring equipment, techniques, data capture and processing to add the third dimension, and to the real sea setting. New signal capture and analysis techniques will be explored in the wave basin and open sea. Key challenges that lie ahead on a route to full scale deployment in anger will be identified, and whether these are tractable or show-stoppers be assessed.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ed.ac.uk