Research Programmes
Subsea Technologies
The central goal is to advance current engineering capabilities to address the challenges of the full breadth of subsea activities, including oil and gas recovery, renewable energy and environmental sustainability. These challenges require a multi-disciplinary approach as they involve materials selection, geotechnics, environmental issues, dynamics and power and data transmission. The Programme will achieve its goal by drawing from the skills of subject-focused Research Institutes and Centres within the School and will be aligned largely with the direction of the National Subsea Research Institute, through which it may market potential research projects and attract further externally funding.
Examples of current research strengths include:
- Flow modeling: The Institute of Environmental & Industrial Fluid Mechanics undertakes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and turbulence modeling in pipes and are currently researching multi-phase flow modeling. They have extensive expertise in large-scale flows, sediment transport and coastal engineering. The group has a wide range of purpose built facilities allowing its members to undertake a wide range of hydraulic related testing and research. These include the Aberdeen Oscillatory Flow Tunnel (AOFT) and Aberdeen University Flow Loop (AUFL).
- Underwater cutting for decommissioning: The study and development of underwater cutting methods for decommissioning of offshore structures is a current area of research. Development has been undertaken in conjunction with industry into abrasive water jet cutting while other novel underwater cutting techniques are currently being developed with funding from the Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF).
- Materials for Subsea use: The School of Engineering has facilities and expertise in both the selection and analysis of materials for such applications and in the modeling of processes like crack initiation/propagation and contact mechanics. Currently work is focusing on the problem of cathodic protection for deep-water installations. The School also houses the Scottish Offshore Materials Centre.
- Subsea Optics: The Electronics and Optical Engineering Institute has a world-wide reputation for holographic imaging. Two state-of-the-art subsea holographic cameras have been designed and developed with have potential for 3D subsea inspection and measurement.
- Subsea Power Electronics: The Electronics and Optical Engineering Institute is leading research in high voltage DC-DC transmission.
- Enhanced Drilling: The Institute of Dynamics and Control is currently developing a resonance enhanced drilling system to aid penetration rate in hard strata, primarily for oil and gas exploration but the technique is more widely applicable.
- Offshore Geotechnics: Work is being undertaken on offshore geotechnics in the context of iceberg scour on submarine pipelines and the impact of trawl and other fishing gear on the seabed.
- The University of Aberdeen Scottish Offshore Materials Centre (SOMC) SOMC is dedicated to the materials needs of the oil and gas industry. Established in 1999, it enhances the facilities of the School of Engineering together with the Chemistry and Geology Departments. It provide advice, testing, analysis and research support for metals, polymers, cements, ceramics or rock and materials behaviour under high pressure and high temperature. Expertise ranges from corrosion and fatigue to polymer behaviour and formulation.
- Deep Sea Environmental Monitoring: The University of Aberdeen Oceanlab facility undertakes subsea environmental monitoring of oil and gas installations and has just started DELOS, a 25year project with BP to determine the long term natural environmental conditions at a deepwater site in Angola Block 18 where any changes observed at near field monitoring sites can be compared to the more distant site. Oceanlab has a range of deep sea testing facilities and expertise.
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/envhrg/ http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/envhrg/facilities.php
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/mats/
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/comms/
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/comms/
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/dynamics/
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/engineering/research/dynamics/