What is FSI?
Fluid-Structure Interaction
Fluid-Structure Interaction is used to be able to analyze the effect of the elements on offshore wind turbines. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has a lab run by Dr. Banafsheh Seyedaghazadeh where undergrad and graduate students research how current and wind affect these platforms and the anchoring system that these platforms use.
Why a Wave Generator?
Examples and Explications
Currently, the UMass Dartmouth FSI Lab has the capability to test scaled-down platforms using a current tank and a wind tunnel that was created by last year's senior design team. The capability of adding waves to this system would make the results of experimentation done by the lab as close as possible to 'real-world' conditions that the platforms would be subjected to. This would allow for researchers to be able to mimic a larger range of conditions and therefore get more accurate data.
What have we made?
Design and Manufacturing
The 2021-2022 Senior Design Team has designed and manufactured a functioning wave generator that is able to fit in the water tunnel that is existing in the FSI Lab. This wave generator will be able to create different wave amplitudes and frequencies to mimic different conditions that could occur on the open ocean.