Research Associate in Modelling Tidal Turbine Arrays

The post is supported by funding through the EPSRC Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Impact Hub (2023-2027, ) and a University of Manchester UKRI Impact Accelerator Award (IAA) in collaboration with Atlantis Resources Ltd. (Scotland). Within the ORE Impact Hub the successful candidate will contribute principally to the Modelling workstream with a focus on prediction of tidal stream turbine array performance accounting for wakes. Activities will include high-fidelity modelling of complex unsteady flows representative of tidal stream sites and interaction with tidal stream turbine arrays. This will be driven by analysis of field measurement data and will inform experimental studies and model developments to improve confidence in model predictions of power performance and turbine fatigue loading across the spatial extent of tidal stream sites. The UKRI IAA part of the work aims to support the development of the MeyGen site (Scotland) at which tidal turbines have been operating since 2017 and where larger array deployments are planned from 2027/28. Work will be undertaken in collaboration with staff at University of Manchester including Professor Tim Stallard and Dr Hannah Mullings as well as Dr Pablo Ouro and Dr Sam Draycott. In addition work will involve collaboration with the partners of the Supergen ORE Impact Hub consortium and with the UKRI IAA project partner focusing on the MeyGen site. There will also be opportunities to engage with members of the Supergen ORE Impact Hub Industry Advisory board and Early Career network.

The main tasks will be to analyse the complex flows that occur across tidal stream sites and the interaction of these flows with large turbine arrays to predict array power performance and turbine design loading. This will involve extension and application of high-fidelity numerical models, analysis of site-specific measurement data, and development of engineering models for array performance. Simulations will be undertaken for representative sites and array layouts to facilitate model evaluation relative to data from measurement campaigns. This work will include use of in-house CFD models (RANS or LES) as well as drawing on datasets generated from wider-area resource modelling. Boundary conditions will be further developed to predict spatially varying flows across the site area. Load prediction models will also be applied to inform siting and turbine design within arrays.

As this role involves research at a postgraduate level, applicants who are not an EEA national or a national of an exempt country and who will require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route of the UK Visas and Immigration’s (UKVI) Points Based System in order to take up the role, will be required to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) Certificate and will need to obtain this prior to making any official visa application UKVI)

What you will get in return: