Responsable: Miguel Ángel Herrada Gutiérrez
Tipo de Proyecto/Ayuda: 6º Programa Marco de la U.E.
Referencia: COOP-CT-2005-017725
Web: http://cordis.europa.eu/projects/rcn/74989_en.html
Fecha de Inicio: 01-12-2005
Fecha de Finalización: 30-11-2007

Empresa/Organismo financiador/es:

• Commission of the European Communities (Research Directorate-General)

Socios:

• KORT Propulsion Company Limited (Norman Parsons)
• Seabed Impeller Levelling and Trenching - SILT (UK) Ltd (Redding)
• HTS High-pressure Technical Systems GmbH (Erich Kellerer)
• Holyhead Towing Company Ltd (Mark Meade)
• Imar Survey Ltd (Ciarán Lawless)
• Istituto Nazionale per Studi ed Experienze di Architettura Navale (Fabio di Felice)
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne (Mehmet Atlar)
• Universidad de Málaga (Ramón Fernández-Feria)
• University of Leeds (James L. Best)
• ABP Marine Environmental Research (aaa)
• International Paints Ltd. (aaa)
• Bureau Veritas (aaa)

Contratados:

• Investigadores:
  • Antonio Ojeda Monge
• Técnicos/Personal Administrativo:
  • Tomás José Manzano Galán

Resumen del proyecto:

Participants in this research project share a common interest in swirling fluid jets, either from the standpoint of commercial exploitation, or fundamental scientific curiosity, or both. Swirling fluid jets can be created and studied in various ways, in nature and technology. The three project applications - seabed excavation, vessel propulsion and underwater cleaning, use jets formed by ducted-propellers and static swirl generator nozzles. Swirling jets are known to exhibit novel behaviour: thus, at a particular axial-to-swirl velocity ratio, a columnar jet can suddenly splay out into a plane-wall cone, with the primary flow energy being concentrated in the form of a thin conical sheet. Conical fan-jets, as they are known, have demonstrable utility for seabed excavation, and significant potential for the other two applications. However, they only exist over a limited range of flow parameters, and are susceptible to disturbances, which can cause dramatic and often undesirable changes in jet topology. Through preliminary R&D in the area of seabed excavation, means have been found to better control the formation and stability of conical jets. Provisional patents (held by one of the SMEs) cover basic design for the three application areas, and act as a catalyst for the project. However, to fully realise the inventions' cutting-edge potential, and enable the SMEs to jointly exploit the technology, detailed research into swirling jet dynamics and kinematics is required. RTD Performers have been purposely chosen with these research goals in mind, and to create an integrated, highly focussed, project team. Apart from the anticipated commercial-cum-scientific advancement for participants, potential Community benefits stemming from this research include: a more sustainable and environmentally-appropriate method of maintenance dredging; a more energy-efficient method of propelling and manoeuvring vessels at slow speed; a less hazardous means of underwater cleaning.