Month: March 2016

May ProteusDS user workshop & training

Posted on March 24, 2016
Lauren Dunn

May 30th & 31st, 2016

 

About ProteusDS Training

 

If you want to maximize your ProteusDS investment, there’s no better way than giving you or your people the skills to use ProteusDS to its fullest extent. That’s why we offer a range of training options, from small in-person classes, to virtual training, self-led tutorials to private work-shops and more.

Course Type: ProteusDS User Workshop & Training

When: May 30th & 31st 2016

Where: Delta Halifax Hotel – Halifax, Nova Scotia

Registration: $1000CDN

PostPDS 2013-05-29 19-29-19-70

Who should attend?

 

  • New users
  • Users who want a refresher course
  • Technologists, engineers, and scientists involved in deploying and designing moorings
  • Tidal energy platform designers
  • Prospective Users
  • Users looking to develop their skills (productivity)

Key applications to be considered

 

  • Towed body numerical modelling
  • Single leg moorings
  • Subsurface moorings
  • Tidal energy platforms
  • Wave energy converters
  • Simulations of booms and floating pipes
  • Aquaculture net-cage simulation (optional)
  • Towing examples: barges, platforms
  • What is going to be covered?
  • Introduction to ocean engineering numerical modelling: dynamic analysis
  • Introduction of new features in ProteusDS 2015
  • Numerical integrators
  • Simulating cables, moorings, chains in the marine environment
  • Considerations in using a finite-element cable model: meshing, damping, accuracy
  • Simulating the marine environment:
  • Current models
  • Tides
  • Regular and irregular waves
  • Wave-current interaction effects
  • Spectral wind models
  • Wind current interaction
  • Analysis of 3 DOF floating and submerged buoys
  • Subsurface mooring design process in ProteusDS
  • Single-leg surface mooring design process in ProteusDS
  • Simulating 6 DOF rigid bodies
  • Modeling of floating structures, including meshing, wave radiation/diffraction effects
  • Rigid body hydrodynamics
  • Spread mooring design considerations and process
  • Simulating mechanisms such as A-frames, wave energy converters, sheaves
  • Simulating and analyzing hydrodynamic lift and towed bodies
  • Analysis of hydrokinetic tidal turbines
  • Advanced cable modelling options: nonlinear axial rigidity and floating pipes
  • Optimizing simulations for speed
  • Introduction to the finite-element net model
Wave energy converter

 

 ecoSPRAY tidal platform

 

 

 

Course fees include training materials and lunch. Access to ProteusDS software and a license key will be provided. Attendees must bring their own laptops (Windows) capable of running ProteusDS.

All places are reserved on a first come first served basis. To reserve your spot and pay via credit card please contact:
Lauren Dunn
either by email lauren.dunn@dsa-ltd.ca
or phone 902-407-3722 ext 109

 

DSA makes waves with ecoSPRAY tidal platform

Posted on March 23, 2016
Lauren Dunn

Mooring research makes waves with EcoSPRAY tidal platform

New research platform designed to understand turbulent tide impact on floating structures

(Halifax, Nova Scotia) Dynamic Systems Analysis Ltd. (DSA) has led the launch of the ecoSPRAY, a marine structure designed to gather data to verify the behaviour of floating tidal energy platforms and their moorings in high-energy turbulent tidal flows. The platform has been deployed in Grand Passage between Freeport and Westport, NS in the Outer Bay of Fundy.


The work is part of a Natural Resource Canada ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative (NRCan ecoEII) funded project that is helping to reduce the cost of in-stream tidal energy through the development of comprehensive site assessment methods and technologies. The project is led by Dr. Richard Karsten of Acadia University and focuses on tidal energy site assessment using numerical models and innovative oceanographic monitoring methods. Key project partners include:

Image of a ProteusDS simulation of the ecoSpray tidal energy platform
Tidal power generation projects are developed to effectively harness high-energy tidal flows while targeting cost-effective maintenance and minimal environmental impact. It is important to understand the effects of wind, current, and waves on dynamic platform motion and mooring systems in early-stage engineering design of the projects.


The ecoSPRAY platform was collaboratively designed and built by DSA, Fundy Tidal, and local suppliers Clare Machine Works (Meteghan, NS) and Bear River Plastics (Cornwallis, NS). The experiment includes state of the art equipment to measure motion, mooring line loads, wind speeds, tidal currents, and wave conditions. The platform is equipped with a drag plate to simulate the thrust created by an underwater turbine.

“Large scale multi-megawatt projects using floating platforms are being discussed in the emerging tidal industry for the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Expertise and experience with the deployment of these systems, the longevity and loading of their moorings, and characterization of the environment are needed to ensure the success of the projects. This test is being used to generate critical validation data for the tidal energy industry, which it can use to move forward with reduced risk.” says Dean Steinke, co-founder and CEO at Dynamic Systems Analysis.

 

The ecoSPRAY is named after the famous Joshua Slocum vessel, the Spray, in which Slocum became the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. The local significance includes Slocum spending a portion of his childhood growing up in Westport, an extended visit to Brier Island prior to crossing the North Atlantic in his around the world journey, and the use of the Spray II passenger ferry to deploy the mooring blocks for the ecoSPRAY. The platform will collect data in the Grand Passage into April 2016.

Project partners hope that the platform can be used for future research into all aspects of tidal energy, including environmental monitoring, marine mammal observation and ocean engineering.

 

 

Want to learn more about the ecoSPRAY or Dynamic Systems Analysis?

button to contact dynamic systems analysis

Aquaculture 2016

Posted on March 7, 2016
Lauren Dunn

Dynamic Systems Analysis sent engineer-in-training, Adam Turner, to Aquaculture 2016 in lively Las Vegas, Nevada.

The triennial conference, presented by the World Aquaculture Society, is the largest aquaculture conference in the world – with nearly 4000 attendees from over 90 countries worldwide. During the four day conference hundreds of technical presentations showcased the many aspects of research being done in the field of aquaculture, such as the biological aspects of aquaculture development, engineering, statistics and economics.

Adam had the opportunity to present his master’s research currently featured in the December 2015 World Aquculture Magazine, in the Integrated Mulit-Trophic Aquaculture session. Adam’s thesis work focused on the hydrodynamic wake properties of scale model fish cages and fish cage arrays, to gain a better understanding of wake velocity, wake topology, wake turbulence and wake recovery. The results of his work are being used to better understand how to place extractive species in aquaculture farms for optimized nutrient extraction.

In addition to the numerous technical presentations, Aquaculture 2016 hosted a large trade show, where Adam had the opportunity to network with other industry professionals and see first hand the latest products and services in the aquaculture industry.

Aquaculture 2016 was located in the beautiful Paris Hotel, a French-themed casino hotel with a half-size Eiffel Tower, on the bustling Las Vegas Strip. Overall the conference was a huge success. We’d like to thank the World Aquaculture Society and the city of Las Vegas for their hospitality!

 

For more information on future DSA conference attendance please click here

About the World Aquaculture Society

The World Aquaculture Society was founded in 1969 as the World Mariculture Society. Since it’s beginning the membership in WAS has grown to more than 3,000 members in about 100 countries representing the global aquaculture community. Through its diverse membership and international networks, the WAS provides leadership for enhanced international communications, collaboration and information exchange. The World Aquaculture Society is a dynamic organization capable of responding to change and is recognized for its professional credibility in aquaculture science, technology and education.

International Conference on Ocean Energy 2016

Posted on March 1, 2016
Lauren Dunn

Dynamic Systems Analysis attended the biennial International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE), supported by RenewableUK and Scottish Development International, in breathtaking Edinburgh, Scotland.

This gathering brought together some of the world’s leading experts on renewable ocean energy. With representatives from over 40 countries, 100+ speakers showcased everything from developing technologies to current projects and full scale success stories. There were captivating technical presentations and learning opportunities throughout the conference and the expo hosted 70 international companies.

DSA was a member of Marine Renewables Canada, who with the support of Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada (DFATDC), led Canada’s marine renewable energy mission to Scotland. Our booth in the Canadian Pavilion provided DSA with a great opportunity to showcase the work we do. Over the three day conference, we connected with many ocean energy professionals and we are eager to explore the work we can do together in the future.

Conferences are more than tradeshows and presentations and the DSA team had an incredible time at all the official and non-official networking events (especially the Whiskey tastings!). We even had the opportunity to sneak in a little sightseeing.

Here’s the top 5 things we experienced in Edinburgh last week:

5. Edinburgh city: with its mix of new and old, it was the perfect venue for ICOE2016.

 

4. FloWave test tank at the University of Edinburgh: this facility is state of the art and a work of art. Its wide range of capabilities was put on display – and it had some great party tricks!

 

3. Arthur’s Seat located in Holyrood Park, this 250m extinct volcano provides astonishing panoramic views of the city.

2. Networking events were hosted by individual companies and trade missions. They were fantastic opportunities to learn about what was happening across the globe.

From left to right Andrew Baron (DSA), Claes Fredriksson (Seaflex) and Ryan Nicoll (DSA)

 

1. The conference with three education tracks and a large trade show floor, ICOE was the perfect mix. It gave international companies like DSA the perfect opportunity to learn and explore new opportunities with companies we might never have connected with before.

Ryan Nicoll giving a live demo of ProteusDS

We look forward to seeing you at the next ICOE in 2018!

 

 

For more information on future DSA conference attendance please click here

 

 

About ICOE

The International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) is a global marine energy event focused on the industrial development of renewable marine energy. Held every two years, the goal of the conference and exhibition is to share recent experiences from research and demonstration efforts. It aims to accelerate development by stimulating collaboration networks between companies and research and development centres.