The project
WTIMTS proposes a novel combined approach to measurement of turbulence and waves at tidal energy sites. If successful, this will allow an unprecedented level of confidence in decoupling these deeply entangled phenomena using only standard instrumentation (i.e., bed-mounted ADCPs and wavebuoys/WaveNet equivalent) – a limitation that is particularly relevant at the highly energetic sites of interest to the tidal stream industry, where more sophisticated instrument arrays are often impracticable. This will also permit the project to characterise, for the first time, the ways in which wave action enhances turbulence at such sites, and how far into the water column its influence extends.
Dr Alison Williams - Principal Investigator
Dr Alison Williams is a Senior Lecturer in Engineering at Swansea University. Alison has over 10 years' experience in modelling multiphysics processes with particular expertise in modelling processes involving complex flows. She has been involved in several industry led projects in the areas of wind turbines, metal processing, manufacture of electronics components and the development of ventilation systems.
As a member of the Marine Energy Research Group, Alison is currently involved in developing computational models to assess both the performance of marine energy devices and their interactions with the environment. She has also worked with a number of SME's in Wales to assess the feasibility of their devices and ideas for marine renewable energy.
