Skills Spotlight: OrcaFlex Analysis

This is the fourth in our Skills Spotlight series, here, Beth Dickens gives an overview of our expertise in OrcaFlex analysis. OrcaFlex is commercially available software, widely used for modelling fully integrated marine systems in detailed environmental conditions. It allows the detailed modelling and coupling of moorings, floating structures, and turbine dynamics. Importantly for operational modelling, systems may be dynamically controlled throughout the simulation.

At Quoceant we have used OrcaFlex over many years and seen the software's capability extended to allow ever more sophisticated methods to be applied. We have accurately modelled elements such as power take-off and control systems, variable buoyancy tanks, flexible connections, and non-linear mooring lines and elements. Our extensive experience modelling innovative wave and tidal energy systems has provided our team with an excellent first principal understanding - allowing us to build highly sophisticated models from scratch and validate results at each stage as we increase complexity using literature, supporting calculations, and tank testing.  We are especially adept at creating and interrogating models to assess the sensitivities of novel systems but are equally happy doing turnkey analyses.

In the past five years, we’ve expanded our capability to model floating wind turbines, their moorings and electrical cabling systems. OrcaFlex now includes wind turbine modelling capability including the creation and use of 3D wind fields, aero-elastic interactions and blade effects, and dynamic pitch and speed control. This allows studies of design configurations, mooring options and modelling of temporary phases (such as installation) and fault load cases.

OrcaFlex is a powerful tool for the design process, enabling rapid comparisons between platforms, mooring designs, and marine operations strategies. It also complements FEA packages such as Abaqus, which we use for detailed stress, strain, and deformation analysis.

To learn more about Quoceant’s engineering services including; OrcaFlex analysis, weather window analysis, rapid prototyping, concept design, analysis, evaluation and review, get in touch: info@quoceant.com or meet us at All-Energy.

Beth Dickens is a co-founder of Quoceant and a chartered mechanical engineer with over 20 years of experience in the offshore renewable energy sector. Beth has extensive first-hand experience of the support requirements for offshore systems, and how to work in the marine environment both safely and cost effectively. She was named one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering: Inventors and Innovators.