Ana Sousa, PhD student and CERENA researcher, and Tiago Ribeiro, Técnico alumnus, received honourable mention of Young Engineer Innovation Award 2019. The award is given annually by Ordem dos Engenheiros – South region and recognises the best research papers prepared by engineering graduates under 35 years old.
The work titled “Conversão de plataformas petrolíferas fixas em parques eólicos em ambiente oceânico” earned the two Técnico graduates this honourable mention. “We are grateful to see our work recognised. This honourable mention is also an incentive to continue working, with the hope of obtaining good results, at professional and academic level”, says Ana Sousa.
“As the oil platforms reach the end of their useful life, it is necessary to start decommissioning these plataforms or converting them to other potentially valuable uses. The work carried out proposes the conversion of fixed oil platforms into offshore wind farms”, explains Ana Sousa. Tiago Ribeiro stresses “this work focused on the joint effects of waves and wind on the structural integrity of offshore fixed structures and the change that results from this alteration, since wind farms depend on the wind speed”. The two authors asked themselves about how to include the acquired information, using Bayesian inference, “in order to enrich the relevant damage models and carry out probabilistic analyzis that allow us to better perform structure inspections, after changing its purpose”, highlights the co-author.
According to Ana Sousa, the work allowed “to develop calculation methodologies for the assessment of oil platforms lifetime extension after converting them into wind towers. This calculation methodology allows “to implement predictive maintenance strategies in this type of structures, which we believe to be a useful tool to achieve the energy transition”, adds Tiago Ribeiro.
“The calculation methodology was developed with the aim of providing a scalable and easy-to-use application, which will certainly attract the industry sector”, says Ana Sousa.
