Reducing the noise and environmental impact of wind turbine construction using novel encapsulated bubble arrays
Project ID: 2531ad1562
(You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Energy and Decarbonisation
UCL Lead department: Mechanical Engineering
Lead Supervisor: Helen Czerski
Project Summary:
Offshore wind energy is essential for the decarbonization of the UK’s electricity supply, but the pile-driving needed for the installation of the foundation generates significant amounts of underwater noise pollution, which is damaging to marine life. As offshore wind construction increases, mitigating this noise pollution is essential. The only current mitigation method is bubble curtains, which are very limited in effectiveness while also being noisy, extremely expensive, and requiring large amounts of energy to run (increasing the carbon footprint of turbine installation).
UCL have conducted successful preliminary trials on a very promising alternative method for shielding underwater sound: arrays of encapsuled gas pockets moored at the base and arranged in a vertical sheet geometry. Such an array would have two main advantages over existing methods: it requires no input energy to operate and, because larger pockets can be created, it can be more effective at low frequency noise.
This PhD project has three components: i) Experimental tests of encapsulated air pockets (different materials, shapes and sizes), to measure and understand their acoustical response. ii) Computational modelling to optimise the array geometry to maximise the acoustic performance. iii) Construction of prototypes of the most promising arrays suggested by the modelling study, and testing both in the laboratory and in natural water.
The overall aim is to develop the necessary theory and produce a proof-of-concept device that will effectively act as a barrier for underwater sound. The concept developed will have the potential for acting as a practical, affordable and low-impact solution in the real world.
This project will enable a student to work with a multidisciplinary team on an exciting novel concept and develop experimental and computational skills. Interested applicants should have a background in physics or engineering, some familiarity with Matlab or Python, and an interest in experimental work.