United Kingdom Centre for Marine Energy Research

海洋（或近海）可再生能源具有提供清洁、安全和可预测能源的巨大潜力。英国拥有世界上最大的自然资源（巨浪、强潮流和大风）。这些资源的开发对于解决能源三难困境（生产安全、成本合理、低碳的能源）至关重要。事实上，如果没有海洋能源，英国雄心勃勃的2050年碳减排目标很可能无法实现。然而，海洋能源有重大挑战需要克服。波浪、潮汐和风力涡轮机必须安装和运行在偏远地区，那里的水很深，海洋、天气和潮汐都很有活力。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廉、安装简单、可靠、易于维护并能产生大量能源。在恶劣的海洋环境中实现这一切是相当大的挑战，但回报是重大的，不仅提供清洁能源，而且提供大量的就业和出口机会。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寻求协调利用海浪、潮流和浮动风力涡轮机的能量进行可再生发电的研究。UKCMER的核心包括爱丁堡大学（负责协调该项目）、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还作为协调另外四个大挑战项目（EP/N021452/1, EP/N021487/1， EP/N020782/1和EP/N02057X/1）活动的中心，研究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，这些方法可以识别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对机器阵列的影响。设计工具的开发，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，这些设计考虑了波浪和海洋环境中湍流的随机性。探索波浪能转换器、潮汐涡轮机和浮动风力涡轮机对极端负载事件的响应的方法，认识到这些事件是由陡浪（而不是大浪）和波浪到达设备时设备状态的组合引起的。研究部署在农场的潮汐涡轮机的尾迹如何相互作用，从而使农场的电力生产得到优化。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。该研究方案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领导着英国的国际推广活动，并与智利、日本、韩国、墨西哥和美国的项目建立了紧密的联系，这些项目将在这笔拨款下得到进一步加强。UKCMER员工继续为IEC的标准化活动做出贡献，帮助制定62600系列国际标准，并为国际拖曳舱会议（ITTC）和国际船舶和近海结构大会（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).