Dr Adam Stock, Dr Peter McCallum and Dr Alexandra Price have received funding for a new project, “Accelerating Impact of Wave Energy Control” (AIM-WEC), which will use some of the software tools developed in HAPiWEC to inform new training and outreach materials for renewable energy professionals, MSc students and high school students.
During the design phase of HAPiWEC it became clear that co-design was essential to the project. Dr. Peter McCallum built a web-based interactive physics visualisation tool which proved invaluable for system design. AIM-WEC will now leverage this tool to create two training resources: an in-depth, practical course for industrial and post-graduate learners, and a STEM outreach and learning workshop aimed at fuelling the future of engineering by inspiring high school students. The former, developed alongside industrial project partners, will teach industry workers with a background in engineering the specific skills required within the wave energy industry, providing the specialist knowledge the industry needs. The second resource, developed alongside partner schools and HWU outreach team, will utilise adaptations of the software tools showing how mathematics and engineering skills can be applied to solve real world problems with wave energy as the central example.
By building on the integrated co-design codebase developed by the HAPiWEC project, the project will utilise a versatile and modular open-source software framework to provide a unified front-end in the cloud. As the current landscape of hydrodynamic modelling and control design tools for wave energy converters requires hands-on coding knowledge, this project will introduce more accessible pathways to the subject material, whilst allowing more advanced users to build detailed knowledge around our open-source codebase.
The STEM outreach will be developed in close collaboration with the partner schools and HWU outreach team specialists. Post project, the outreach will be delivered by trained members of IMPEE’s centrally funded “CHARTS” chartership programme for post graduate researchers.
Dr Stock remarks, “This exciting new project is all about leveraging our research to deliver real impact for the sector in terms of training renewable energy professionals and encouraging the future Wave energy professionals to follow STEM careers”, he continues, “The tools developed through HAPiWEC offer an excellent starting point, and by combining these with dedicated software engineering and engagement with renewable energy and outreach professionals we aim to deliver an exciting and engaging way for learners to expand their knowledge of wave energy”.