Month: June 2016

September user workshop & training

Posted on June 24, 2016
Lauren Dunn

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September user workshop & training in Victoria, BC

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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, and private workshops.

 

Course type: ProteusDS user workshop & training

When: September 7th & 8th 2016

Where: Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel & Marina

A special rate of $145 CAD/night is available at the hotel. Mention Dynamic Systems Analysis while booking to take advantage. We recommend you reserve rooms early as September in Victoria is considered “high” tourist season and hotel rooms are limited.

Registration:

Early Bird (before July 31st): $750 CAD

Regular (after July 31st): $1000 CAD

Student rate: $500 CAD

 

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Who should attend?

  • New users
  • Prospective users
  • Existing users looking to refresh or build skills and
  • Technologists, engineers, and scientists deploying and designing moorings

Key topics

  • Single and multiple leg moorings
  • Subsurface moorings
  • Automated mooring report tools
  • Tidal energy platforms
  • Wave energy converters
  • Towed bodies
  • Booms and floating pipes
  • Aquaculture net systems
  • Tug, barge, and towed systems
  • Simulating cables, moorings, chains in the marine environment
  • Details in finite element line modelling: meshing, damping, hysteresis
  • Details in floating structure hydrodynamics modelling: meshing and wave radiation/diffraction effects
  • Environmental effects including current, tides, waves, wind effects and
  • Optimizing simulations for speed

Course fees include a ProteusDS Pro license for use in the workshop, workshop, coffee breaks, and lunch. 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 please contact:

Lauren Dunn
either by email lauren.dunn@dsa-ltd.ca
or phone 902-407-3722 ext 109

Supporting Renewable Energy

Posted on June 14, 2016
Lauren Dunn

Dynamic Systems Analysis recently took part in an initiative with Marine Renewables Canada to further emphasize the opportunity that tidal energy can bring to Canada, and specifically Nova Scotia. DSA wrote letters to our local MLA’s and MP’s to demonstrate the opportunities and benefits industry development is creating for local businesses, communities, and organizations.

The purpose of this outreach initiative is to broaden the current dialogue around tidal energy by highlighting the bigger picture and positive outcomes of this new industry.

 

I am writing to you today to express my support for the tidal energy industry in Nova Scotia. Dynamic Systems Analysis LTD. (DSA) has been involved in the development of tidal energy in the Bay of Fundy since 2009, when we opened our office in Halifax.

DSA is an ocean engineering consultancy and software company. Our mission is to provide progressive and accessible dynamic analysis software, and expertise to enable those working with vessels, structures, lines and technologies in harsh marine environments to reduce risk.

DSA developed a hydrodynamic, mechanical and marine dynamic analysis software package called ProteusDS. This software package is used by ocean engineers and ocean industry professionals to test virtual prototypes of systems that are exposed to extreme wind, current and waves.

Over the years DSA has thrived providing engineering services as part of a growing local supply chain to companies developing tidal energy technologies destined for the Bay of Fundy and around the world:

  • FORCE
  • Cape Sharp Tidal / OpenHydro
  • Black Rock Tidal / Schottel Hydro
  • Fundy Tidal Inc.
  • Big Moon Power
  • Mavi Innovations and
  • Clean Current Inc.

The Bay of Fundy’s potential to produce clean, renewable electricity from its magnificent tides has not only opened up new opportunities for Dynamic Systems Analysis, but it is also creating new economic and environmental benefits for Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole.

In addition to our projects in the Bay of Fundy, DSA takes an active role in research and development for the marine renewable industry. DSA co-founder Dean Steinke is presently the co-chair of the engineering subcommittee on engineering for the Fundy Energy Research Network, and since 2013, DSA has been a key member of the NRCan ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative (ecoEII) project alongside Dalhousie, University of New Brunswick and Acadia University.

The NRCan ecoEII project is helping to reduce the cost of in-stream tidal energy through the development of comprehensive site assessment methods and technologies. Lessons learned from this project will help smaller and remote communities deploy small scale tidal energy systems and support them with their local equipment and capabilities.

Working with renewable marine energy, especially tidal energy companies in Nova Scotia, was a natural fit for DSA. Our business is based on reducing the risks associated with conducting business in the most challenging environment in the world, the ocean.

DSA saw the potential to work with progressive and innovative companies to develop solutions for a growing local and global industry as a tremendous opportunity. Nova Scotia is a leader in Canada in the development of tidal energy resources. DSA’s work with companies in the Bay of Fundy has been adapted to work in other parts of Canada and the world. DSA’s reputation and expertise in the ocean energy industry, had lead to new contracts, the hiring of two new employees in the last 6 months, and increased our collaborations on international research.

Recently DSA’s Director of Engineering, and co-founder Ryan Nicoll attended the annual IEC TC114 plenary held in Guangzhou, China. Ryan leads an international team developing and updating mooring standards for marine renewable technology.

The ocean plays an enormous role in our lives. It covers over 70% of our planet, and 44% of the global population lives within 150 kilometres of the coastline. Harnessing the renewable, thermal and mechanical energy generated by the ocean is a natural fit for any country with extensive coastlines.

Canada (with over 200,000 km of coastline), and Nova Scotia (with our rich tidal resources) have the unique opportunity to change the landscape of how we generate power. The marine energy industry is generating worldwide attention, and currently in Nova Scotia is creating jobs in rural communities across the province.

In his report Now or Never and Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians, Ray Ivany said “there are few of us who have yet to grasp the serious nature of our economic circumstances. Without new hope, we run the risk of not being able to stay here; and if we do, we will likely not enjoy the same standard of living or the level of public services and support we have today. Responsible development of our natural resources is an opportunity for growth and prosperity in Nova Scotia, particularly in our rural areas.”

Nova Scotia is, and can continue to be, a leader in marine renewable energy. To do that we must support tidal energy projects in Canada. DSA needs your support to grow Nova Scotia’s renewable energy industry, can we count on you?

For more information on Dynamic Systems Analysis please email info@dsa-ltd.ca

World Oceans Day 2016

Posted on June 7, 2016
Lauren Dunn

Did you know…?

  • We have explored less than 5 percent of the Earth’s oceans. In fact, we have better maps of Mars than we do of the ocean floor.
  • The earth’s longest mountain range is the Mid-Ocean Ridge more than 50,000km in length. The mountain winds around the globe from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic, skirting Africa, Asia and Australia, and crossing the Pacific to the west coast of North America. The Mid-Ocean Ridge is four times longer than the Andes, Rockies, and Himalayas combined.
  • The pressure at the deepest point in the ocean is more than 11,318tons/sq m, or the equivalent of one person trying to support 50 jumbo jets.
  • The Kuroshio Current off the shores of Japan is the largest current. It can travel between 40-121 km/day at 1.6-4.8kph, and extends some 1,006 m deep.
  • The Gulf Stream Current is a well-known current of warm water in the Atlantic Ocean. Its speed is close to that of the Kuroshio Current, at a speed of 97 km/day, the Gulf Stream moves a 100 times as much water as all the rivers on earth and flows at a rate 300 times faster than the Amazon, the world’s largest river.

You’re probably starting to wonder why an ocean engineering company is sharing interesting and cool ocean facts with you. June 8th, 2016, is the 7th annual World Oceans Day. World Oceans Day is an annual celebration honoring the ocean’s contribution to our world. The ocean is beautiful to look at and plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives.

At DSA our business is the ocean. We understand how critical the ocean is to our planet and how vital it will be to future of power generation.

Did you know there are six way to generate power from the ocean?

  1. Floating wind energy
  2. Wave energy
  3. Tidal energy
  4. Ocean current energy
  5. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OETC) – Energy derived from the temperature difference at various ocean depths and
  6. Osmotic power – energy derived from the different content of freshwater and saltwater.

Almost 90% of global wind energy is contained in the turbulence above the world’s oceans. Wind, waves and currents combined contain 300 times more energy than humans are currently consuming. Ocean Energy Systems headquartered in Portugal estimates the global potential for tidal energy is 1200+ TWh/year and wave power at 29,000 TWh/year. The potential for current energy, OETC and osmotic energy is still under evaluation.

With 44% of the global population living within 150 kilometres of the coastline, and more people migrating to these regions every year, working to create a sustainable marine energy industry is a natural choice – especially for Canadians. Producing renewable energy from ocean waves and marine currents has the potential to play a pivotal role in creating jobs and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

Harnessing the power of the ocean to produce energy is still a relatively new industry, and extensive research is taking place to understand the challenges. By continuing to place an emphasis on understanding how our oceans produce thermal and mechanical energy we will ensure that our planet has access to reliable and affordable alternative energy sources.

Oceans are the heart of our planet and a great source of renewable energy. Join DSA as we celebrate World Oceans Day!