United Kingdom Centre for Marine Energy Research

海洋（或近海）可再生能源在提供清洁、安全和可预测的能源方面具有巨大潜力。联合王国拥有世界上最大的自然资源（巨浪、强潮流和强风）。这些资源的开发对于解决能源三难困境（生产安全、成本可承受的低碳能源）至关重要。事实上，如果没有海洋能源，英国雄心勃勃的2050年碳减排目标可能无法实现。然而，海洋能源面临着巨大的挑战。波浪、潮汐和风力涡轮机必须安装在水很深、海洋、天气和潮汐能量很高的偏远地区并在那里运行。为了提供具有成本效益的电力，可再生能源设备必须制造成本低，安装简单，可靠，易于维护并产生大量能量。在恶劣的海洋环境中实现这一切是一个相当大的挑战，但奖励是显著的，不仅提供清洁能源，但重要的就业和出口机会。英国海洋可再生能源中心（UKCMER）是一个虚拟中心，由RCUK的能源计划SUPERGEN倡议资助。UKCMER致力于协调利用波浪、潮流和浮动风力涡轮机发电的可再生能源发电研究。UKCMER核心包括爱丁堡大学（协调该计划），克兰菲尔德大学，埃克塞特大学，斯特拉斯克莱德大学和斯旺西大学。除了开展核心研究计划外，UKCMER还作为中心协调另外四个大挑战项目（EP/N 021452/1，EP/N 021487/1，EP/N 020782/1和EP/N 02057 X/1）的活动，这些项目着眼于海洋能源部门的具体挑战。UKCMER第四阶段的研究将集中在：提高潮汐涡轮机性能的方法，这些方法认识到机器阵列受到流经设备的水流和收集产生的能量并将其发送到电网的电力基础设施的相互作用的影响。开发设计工具，以协助波浪能转换器、潮汐涡轮机和浮动风力涡轮机的优化设计，这些设计考虑到海洋环境中波浪和湍流的随机性。探索波浪能转换器、潮汐涡轮机和浮动式风力涡轮机对极端负载事件的响应的方法，认识到此类事件是由陡峭（而不是大浪）和波浪到达时设备状态的组合引起的。研究部署在农场中的潮汐涡轮机的尾流如何相互作用，以便优化农场的发电量。最后，新的设计和材料如何提高海上可再生能源转换器的结构完整性。该研究计划旨在补充现有的大挑战项目，并将利用这些项目的早期成果。UKCMER领导联合王国的国际推广活动，并与智利，日本，韩国，墨西哥和美国的项目建立了密切的联系，这些项目将在这笔赠款下得到进一步加强。UKCMER的工作人员继续为IEC的标准化活动做出贡献，帮助制定62600系列国际标准，并为国际拖船会议（ITTC）和国际船舶和海洋结构大会（ISSC）的工作做出贡献。

Marine (or offshore) renewable energy has a large potential to deliver clean, secure and predictable energy. The United Kingdom has some of the largest natural resources (large waves, strong tidal currents and high winds) of any country in the world. The exploitation of these resources is critical to addressing the energy trilemma (of producing secure, cost affordable, low carbon energy). Indeed, it is likely that without marine energy the UK's ambitious 2050 carbon reduction targets cannot be met. However, Marine energy has significant challenges to overcome. Wave, tidal and wind turbines must be installed and operated in remote locations, where the water is deep and the ocean, weather and tides are highly energetic. To provide cost effective electricity, renewable energy devices must be inexpensive to manufacture, simple to install, reliable, easy to service and produce large quantities of energy. Achieving all of this within the hostile marine environment is quite a challenge, however the prize is significant, providing not only clean energy, but significant employment and export opportunities.The United Kingdom Centre for Marine Renewable Energy (UKCMER) is a virtual centre, funded under RCUK's Energy Programmes SUPERGEN initiative. UKCMER seeks to coordinate research in renewable electricity generation using the power of the waves, tidal currents and floating wind turbines. The UKCMER core comprises of The University of Edinburgh (who coordinate the programme), Cranfield University, Exeter University, Strathclyde University and Swansea University. In addition to conducting a core research programme UKCMER acts as a hub to coordinate the activities of four additional Grand Challenge projects (EP/N021452/1, EP/N021487/1, EP/N020782/1 and EP/N02057X/1) looking at specific challenges for the marine energy sector. Research in the fourth phase of UKCMER will focus on: methods to enhance the performance of tidal turbines that recognise that arrays of machines are affected by both the interactions of the water flowing passed the devices and the electrical infrastructure which collects the energy generated and sends it to the grid. The development of design tools to assist in the optimal design of wave energy converters, tidal turbines and floating wind turbines that account for the random nature of both the waves and turbulence in the marine environment. Methods to explore the response of wave energy converters, tidal turbines and floating wind turbines to extreme loading events, recognising that such events arise from a combination of steep (rather than large waves) and the state of the device when the waves reach it. Examining how the wakes of tidal turbines deployed in farms interact with each other so that the power production from the farm can be optimised. And finally, how new designs and materials can improve the structural integrity of offshore renewable energy converters. The research programme has been designed to be complementary to the existing grand challenge projects and will make use of early results from these projects.UKCMER leads the UK's international outreach activities and has developed strong links to programmes in Chile, Japan, Korea, Mexico and the USA which will be further strengthened under this grant. UKCMER staff continue to contribute to standardisation activities of the IEC helping to develop the 62600 series of international standards and contributing to the work of the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) and the International Ships and Offshore Structures Congress (ISSC).