Spanish companies and research centers have joined forces to design a durable load prediction technology to optimize the anchoring systems of marine renewable energy devices.
The project will seek to develop the PREDICARG solution that is based on an intelligent algorithm with several sensors, that – according to project developers – allows the collection of high precision data used to calculate the remaining ‘useful life’ of the floating marine structure and its anchoring system.
Therefore, PREDICARG is expected to minimize system failures and optimize service and maintenance operations on the devices, further contributing to the development of marine energy sector.
The project is coordinated by the Cantabrian company DEGIMA , and includes research foundation Technological Centre ( Centro Tecnológico – CTC ), the Institute of Environmental Hydraulics ( IH Cantabria ), and companies EnerOcean and Saitec .
Currently, the lack of reliability, durability and robustness are the biggest challenges for offshore renewable energy sector. Available solutions, such as load cells with acoustic transmission systems or the use of inclinometers, do not solve the problem, according to CTC.
With the budget of little over €780,000, the project will last until 2021, and is expected to result in a load prediction system developed up to pre-commercial level, the project consortium informed.
Knowing precisely to which loads the anchoring lines are subjected to is essential to minimize system failures and, therefore, avoid compromising the integrity of marine renewable energy devices, CTC said.