Quick Connections - Making Waves in Wind

这项工作的重点是对QuOcean的模块化快速连接系统(QCS)Q-Connect进行改造，Q-Connect已经开发并测试用于波浪和潮汐能领域，以满足浮动海上风能(FOW)行业更高的负载要求。本文中的QCS是一种将海上浮动结构机械固定到海床上预先安装的系泊和/或电气系统上的装置。QCS的主要目标是“减少海上作业的持续时间、成本和风险”(Wave Energy Scotland n.d.b)。QCS可以降低运营成本和持续时间的关键海上作业称为平台“挂钩”，每个安装在海上的浮式能源设备都需要将设备连接到预先安装的系泊和电力系统。通过缩短连接作业的持续时间和扩大安全运行的天气限制，可以显著减少因等待合适的天气窗口可用而造成的延误。QCS的研究和开发将集中在FOW上，但可能包括为相关领域的小型项目进行的一些设计调整，这些设计将提供给FOW设计。本报告包括一个简短的最新回顾，以强调FOW中对QCS的需求，然后是一个项目计划，详细说明项目将采取的预期步骤，以实现其目标。还包括项目完成风险评估、健康和安全风险评估以及负责任的研究和创新(RRI)评估。

This work is focused on the adaptation of Quoceant's modular Quick Connection System (QCS), theQ-Connect, already developed and tested for use in the wave and tidal energy sectors, to meet thehigher loading requirements of the floating offshore wind (FOW) industry. A QCS in this context isa device that mechanically secures an offshore floating structure to the pre-installed mooring and/orelectrical systems on the seabed. The key aims of a QCS are to "reduce the duration, cost and risk ofoffshore operations" (Wave Energy Scotland n.d.b).A key offshore operation where a QCS can reduce operational costs and duration is known asthe platform "hook-up" and is required for each floating energy device installed offshore to connectthe device to the pre-installed mooring and electrical systems. By reducing the duration of thehook-up operation and expanding the safe operational weather limits could significantly reduce thedelays incurred from waiting for suitable weather windows to become available. The research anddevelopment of the QCS will be focused on FOW but may include some design adaptions for smallerscale projects in relevant areas that will feed into the FOW designs.This report comprises a short state of the art review to highlight the need for QCSs in FOWfollowed by a Project Plan detailing the anticipated steps the project will take to meet it's goals. Alsoincluded is an assessment of risks to project completion, a health and safety risk assessment and aResponsible Research and Innovation (RRI) assessment.