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A new research project on dynamic cables for floating MRE devices: OMDYN2

The OMDYN2 project - selected during the France Energies EMR ITE 2017 call for projects and with ANR (French National Research Agency) funding - was launched on 10 January. Following on from OMDYN1, Centrale Nantes is participating in the scientific management of the project, notably through the SEM-REV offshore test site, LHEEA teams and involvement of the GeM laboratory.

on February 26, 2018

OMDYN2 is working on the multi-physical characterization of dynamic cables for floating MRE devices.

Cable improvement represents a significant challenge for industry. "Dynamic cables" can transport the energy produced from the floating device (floating wind turbines, wave energy and marine current turbines) to the electrical network installed on the seabed. These cables are usually several hundred metres long and are constantly subjected to the movements of the float head, swell and current. They are also very sensitive to bio-colonization or biofouling, i.e., marine species that attached themselves to the cables, which can accelerate cable ageing, modify their behaviour and possibly affect their performance. These constraints confirm the R&D requirement for this essential component in floating MREs.

The OMDYN2 project will last 3 years and aims to:
 
  • Characterize the electro-mechanical behavior of dynamic power cables;
  • Produce models for predicting life expectancy;
  • Take into account the constraints of biofouling;
  • Generate a method for monitoring life expectancy during operations.

Réunion de lancement d’OMDYN2 – France Energies Marines - Brest

OMDYN2 launch - France Marine Energies - Brest (©FEM)
The aim of the first project, OMDYN1, which ran from 2016 to 2017, was to provide an initial study of these dynamic cables for floating MRE devices. Research focused on analyzing industrial needs for dynamic cable design and operation in order to pinpoint the key barriers and propose innovative and sustainable solutions.

Thanks to the partners' complementary skills, multi-physics investigations made it possible to define a dedicated test bed, to characterize the long-term behaviour of the cable under coupled loads. This complex test bed represents the main challenge of the OMDYN2 project and requires significant resources.

OMDYN2 brings together several partners and their skills:
 
 
This work is supported by France Energies Marines and the French state, via the ANR - National Research Agency - within the framework of the Investments for the Future programme.
Published on February 27, 2018 Updated on March 19, 2021