Ocean Energy and Offshore Engineering Group

Over the past 10 years, IHCantabria has made a significant research effort in the field of offshore engineering and marine energies. Not surprisingly, thanks to its commitment to scientific-technical rigor and to the reality of current engineering, it has consolidated a research team whose task is to study the technical challenges offshore engineering is facing today.

The effort made and the strong orientation of its research to the needs of the offshore sector has resulted in more than 56 scientific contributions, 26 of them in widely cited, first-quartile journals, as well as in constant involvement in national and international congresses and forums in the field of offshore engineering.

In the field of offshore engineering, IHCantabria is committed to a methodology based on hybrid modeling, which combines the most advanced experimental techniques with cutting-edge numerical models. The availability of unique Experimental Facilities has made IHCantabria a leading research center, where the methods used to calculate and design offshore structures, to analyze scouring, the dynamics of floating bodies or to evaluate the production of wave power collectors, are backed by empirical results that are unrivaled in their field.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Offshore Wind Power

Wave Power

Offshore Structures

Marine Operations

Offshore Wind Power

Wave Power

Offshore Structures

Marine Operations

R+D+i PROJECTS

EUROPEAN RESEARCH PROGRAMS

COREWIND

Aims to achieve significant cost reductions and enhance performance of floating wind technology through the research and optimization of mooring and anchoring systems and dynamic cables.

CAPTOW

Optimization of the control and energy extraction system for the WRAM.
Oceanera-net 2016.

TELWIND

One of the most innovative solutions in marine wind engineering
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MERMAID

Innovative multi-purpose offshore platforms: planning, design and operation
7th Framework Programme.
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RETOS – RESEARCH PLANS

ACOPLE

Analyzing the dynamic behaviour of floating wind platforms to optimize the deepwater design
Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

VAPEO

Influence of the climate variability of the ocean on wave power production.
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

SAEMar

Anchoring Systems for Marine Renewable Energy Platforms
Ministry of Education and Science, 2010

RETOS – COllaboration Plans

SAFE

Development of an autonomous system for the anchoring of structures for maritime works.
Ministry of Science and Innovation.
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PREDICARG

Project whose objective is the development of an innovative system for predicting the loads supported by the anchoring systems of marine renewable energy conversion devices. Ministry of Science and Innovation.

POSEIDOM

Platform for the smart optimization, simulation and evaluation of marine operations
Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.
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MENHIR

Floating concrete platform to exploit wind resources in deep waters
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness.

TRL+

Accelerator of deep water marine technologies
Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) “A way of making Europe”
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REGIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFERENCE

DOLWIN6

Dimensionamiento, validación, optimización y certificación de la protección anti socavación de la subestación offshore Dolwin Kappa ubicada en las proximidades de la plataforma Dolwin Beta. Cuyo objetivo es conectar la red eléctrica onshore con varios parques eólicos offshore ubicados en el sector alemán del mar del Norte.

SPJ

Scour Protection Jacket. Study of the effects of the scouring phenomenon on jacket structures and optimization of anti-scour systems.

bLACKFRIARS

Validación a través de ensayos experimentales de la maniobra de instalación de un colector de drenaje ubicado en el rio Támesis (Londres).
El nuevo colector recogerá las aguas residuales de la zona de Blackfriars dirigiéndolas hacia el nuevo túnel de saneamiento conocido como “Thames Tideway Tunnel”.

ACCEDE

Development of new access systems for offshore wind platforms.

KINKARDINE OFFSHORE WINDFARM

Experimental analysis of a floating offshore wind platform
Company/entity: COBRA INSTALACIONES Y SERVICIOS, S.L.

DemoSATH-EXLOE

Design and experimental validation of a scale prototype of a competitive floating platform for offshore wind.
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DRAGADOS

Numerical and physical analysis of a gravity foundation for offshore wind
Company/entity: DRAGADOS.

PUBLICATIONS

Barrera, Carlos; Losada, Iñigo J; Guanche, Raúl; Johanning, Lars; ,(2019)
The influence of wave parameter definition over floating wind platform mooring systems under severe sea states,
Ocean Engineering,172,105-126, Pergamon

Sarmiento, J; Iturrioz, A; Ayllón, V; Guanche, R; Losada, IJ; (2019)
Experimental modelling of a multi-use floating platform for wave and wind energy harvesting,
Ocean Engineering,173,761-773, Pergamon

Martini, M., Guanche, R., Losada-Campa, I., Losada, I. J. (2018).
The impact of downtime over the long-term Energy yield of a floating wind farm.
Renewable Energy, Volume 117, Pages 1-11.

del Jesus, F., Guanche, R., Losada, I.J. (2017).
The impact of wind resource spatial variability on floating offshore wind farms finance.
Wind Energy, 20 (7), pp. 1131-1143.

Martini, M., Guanche, R., Losada, I.J., Vidal, C. (2017).
Accessibility assessment for operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the North Sea.
Wind Energy, 20 (4), pp. 637-656.

Guanche, R., Martini, M., Jurado, A., Losada, I.J. (2016).
Walk-to-work accessibility assessment for floating offshore wind turbines.
Ocean Engineering, Vol. 116, 216-225. DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2016.03.013.

Guanche, R., del Jesus, F., Losada, I. J., Vidal, C. (2016).
Numerical error estimation of conventional anemometry mounted on offshore floating met-masts.
Wind Energy, 19 (12), pp. 2287-2300.

Iturrioz, A., Guanche, R., Lara, J. L., Vidal, C., Losada, I. J. (2015).
Validation of OpenFOAM for Oscillating Water Column three-dimensional modeling.
Ocean Engineering, Vol. 107, 222-236. doi: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2015.07.051.

PATENTS

Guanche, R., Jurado, A., Ondiviela, B., Juanes, J.A.
Title: Offshore floating aquaculture device for cultivating various fish species
Application no.: P 201600275/2 578 429
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 04/06/2016
Patent Awarded
Patent holder: Universidad de Cantabria
Técnicas Acuícolas SA (TACSA)

Guanche, R., López, J., Vidal, C., Losada, I. J., Medina, R.
Title: Triangular semi-submersible platform for open-sea applications
Application no.: 201200750
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 07/18/2012
Patent Awarded: ES 2387342 B2 / WO2014013097A1
Patent holder: FIHAC-Universidad de Cantabria

González Andreu, A., et al. (13-14 / 14)
Title: Device for generating electricity from wave power
Application no.: 201430438
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 03/27/2014
Patent Awarded.
Patent holder: Abengoa Seapower, S.A.

Vidal, C., Medina, R., Losada, I. J.
Title: Floating structure and facility to harness wind power by using a floating catamaran with several oscillating water column chambers
Application no.: 201100242
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 02/28/2011
Patent Awarded: ES2387492
Patent holder:< FIHAC-Universidad de Cantabria

Guanche, R., López, J., Vidal, C., Losada, I. J., Medina, R.
Title: Floating platform for open-sea applications
Application no.: 201300428
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 05/03/2013
Patent Awarded
Patent holder: FIHAC-Universidad de Cantabria

Pantaleón, M., et al. (10/13)
Title: Floating Meteorological Platform
Application no.: 201130301
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 03/07/2011
Patent Awarded: ES2396783
Patent holder: IDERMAR.

Guanche, R., López, J., Vidal, C., Losada, I. J., Medina, R.
Title: Semi-submersible platform for offshore applications
Application no.: 201200760
Country of priority: España
Priority date: 18/07/2012
Patent Awarded: ES 2387232 B2 / WO2014013098A1
Patent holder: FIHAC-Universidad de Cantabria

GUANCHE GARCÍA, Raúl and GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ, Claudio
Title: Device for reproducing and simulating aerodynamic and inertial actions and loads
Application no.: 201700010
Country of priority: Spain
Priority date: 12/28/2016
Patent Awarded: ES2632187B1
Patent holder: FIHAC-Universidad de Cantabria, VT Ing.

TEAM