Australian engineers at RMIT University have unveiled a groundbreaking device that could revolutionise seabed soil testing for offshore wind farm projects.
The innovative tool, based on a modified speargun, offers a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional testing methods.
The new device launches a probe into the seabed, providing crucial data about the underlying soil conditions.
This information is essential for designing and constructing offshore wind farms.
Traditionally, such testing has been conducted by winching or dropping probes, known as penetrometers, from support vessels.
However, existing methods face challenges in shallower waters.
Lightweight probes often struggle to penetrate sandy seabeds effectively, while heavy-duty probes that can do the job come with a hefty price tag of up to AU$200,000 per day.
RMIT researchers rigorously tested their launching device in a water tank, using various probe tips and sand mixtures.
They employed an array of sensors and high-speed cameras to capture detailed results.
The findings, published in the Canadian Geotechnical Journal, indicate that the new device could be twice as effective in penetrating the seafloor compared to existing lightweight free-fall soil testers while being significantly more cost-effective than heavy-duty probes.
Junlin Rong, the lead author of the study and an RMIT PhD candidate, highlighted the device’s potential: “This breakthrough technique has the potential to revolutionise site investigations for wind farm projects, offering significant time and cost savings while outperforming the embedment achieved by other dynamic penetrometers.”
The device is designed with environmental considerations in mind. Its ‘probe and go’ testing approach allows for probe retrieval and reuse, minimising disturbance to the seabed.
Additionally, it can be adapted to existing probes, enabling engineers to upgrade their current equipment with minimal investment.
While traditional cone penetration testing methods are expected to remain dominant, the new launching system could significantly reduce the number of expensive tests required, resulting in substantial cost savings for offshore wind projects.
Professor Majid Nazem, RMIT Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, announced that the device is now ready for field trials.
The research team is eager to collaborate with industry partners to further test its performance in real-world offshore geotechnical engineering applications.
This innovative research, conducted in collaboration with the University of Melbourne at RMIT’s Heavy Structures Laboratory, was supported by the Australian Research Council through the Discovery Project scheme.
As the offshore wind industry continues to grow, this Australian innovation could play a crucial role in making seabed testing more accessible and cost-effective, potentially accelerating the development of offshore wind farms worldwide.