Offshore Wind Farm Engineering Looks to Sea Mussels for Inspiration
Can studying the behavior of sea mussels really help optimize wind farm engineering solutions? According to researchers at Nottingham University in the U.K., the answer is a resounding yes!
How Studying Sea Mussels Could Improve Offshore Wind Farm Engineering
It goes without saying that one of the primary offshore wind farm engineering challenges is keeping the infrastructure safe and secure in a hostile aquatic environment. This includes maximizing the ability to anchor the floating foundations of these structures to the sea floor.
Currently, a reliable method of securing the foundation of these structure into the sea bed using cables has yet to be identified because the turbines are too heavy, especially when situated in an environment featuring constant moisture, high winds and pounding waves. Luckily, sea mussels may hold the key to a viable solution to this problem.
It seems these aquatic animals have a unique ability to attach themselves to wet, slippery underwater surfaces using collagen-rich sticky threads, ending in adhesive pads known as plaques. What makes this gripping process unique is that mussels can attach themselves to pretty much any surface or material while maintaining an unmatched load-bearing ability. Scientists are hopeful that this ‘thread-plaque’ system could unveil new, more effective ways to secure the wind structures to the sea floor.
The research project will run for 3 years, and the objective is to develop a manmade solution that replicates the gripping capabilities of the mussels to inform the development of a porous, lightweight gripping mechanism for offshore wind projects.
Obviously, offshore wind power represents only a small percentage of the total power mix, but any effort to improve the effectiveness of any energy source can only help from an overall reliability perspective. From an emergency preparedness perspective, even if this initiative improves just a small percentage of the offshore wind farm technology out there, it’s certainly better than nothing!
