Around 40 people from 15 European countries will participate on 22 and 23 January in a training school that will aim to delve deeper into the use of SPH models, specifically the DualSPHysics software, for the design of sea wave energy collectors. The activity is organised by Ephyslab, the Environmental Physics Laboratory Group (CIM-UVigo), creator of this benchmark software in computational fluid simulation.
The training is entitled Numerical modeling of wave energy converters using SPH models and will be held in the Campus da Auga building on the Ourense campus. “This activity is a training school for researchers from all over Europe in the field of marine energy, specifically, to learn how to use our DualSPHysics tool as software for the design of wave energy collectors,” explains Alejandro Jacobo Cabrera, professor at the University of Vigo and member of Ephyslab in charge of organizing this activity, which has the collaboration of the Campus da Auga and the School of Aeronautical and Space Engineering.
Getting to know DualSPHysics
The activity, indicates its manager, is funded by the COST Action (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) called WECANet, which is in turn funded by the European Commission. “WECANet provides a networking platform that also creates the ideal space for dialogue between all those interested in wave energy. Currently, 31 associated countries actively participate in this network, with the Ephyslab group, specifically professors Moncho Gómez Gesteira and myself, representing the University of Vigo in it”, points out Cabrera Crespo.
During the training activity to be held in Ourense, attendees will delve into meshless particle models based on the SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) methodology and its benefits and advantages for the simulation of wave energy collectors. Specifically, they will address the characteristics and latest developments of the DualSPHysics software, a 3D fluid simulation model that uses particles and is used in simulations in which water impacts three-dimensional structures, such as coastal structures. Universities such as Manchester, Ghent, Parma, Lisbon and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia participated in the development of this open tool, launched in 2011 by Ephyslab, and it has since been used by all kinds of public and private entities, from Mercedes to NASA.
According to those responsible for the training, around 40 people will participate in it, “including workers from private companies, doctoral students, researchers and professors from different universities” from 15 European countries, specifically from, in addition to Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The teaching will be given, in addition to by Moncho Gómez himself and Alejandro J. Cabrera and José M. Domínguez, from the University of Vigo, by Aleksander Grm, from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and Corrado Altomare, from the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya.
