Professor Philipp Thies

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Research

Philipp's research interest lies in the reliability engineering of renewable energy technologies with a focus on offshore energy. A focus of his work has been on critical componenets such as dynamic submarine cables and mooring for floating offshore wind. His research methods include:

• Analytical system reliability assessment
• Bayesian statistical methods
• Numerical and experimental modelling of operational marine field load conditions
• Physical component reliability testing (performance, service simulation and accelerated testing

Much of my work has been in collaboration with industry, in particular our work using the ISO9001 accredited Dynamic Marine Component test facility (DMAC). Please contact me regarding potential project collaborations.

Ongoing Projects:

• Co-I: EPSRC: Supergen ORE Impact Hub 2023 [EP/Y016297/1]. Co-Director. Hub led by Plymouth University, 07/2023 - 06/2027.
• Co-I: EPSRC: CableDyn: Subsea Power Cable Dynamics Under Complex Ocean Environment [EP/W015102/1]
• PI: Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng). GCRF Socio-technical assessment for resilient electricity networks in rural Africa – STARENA. In collaboration with Borena Energy. (03/2020 - 03/2024)
• Co-I: EPSRC: EPSRC and NERC Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). CDT led by Edinburgh University. EP/S023933/1. 10/2019 - 03/2028.
• Completed Projects:
• Co-I: EU ERDF Interreg France (Channel) England Programme. Tidal Stream Industry Energiser Project. Total project value 45million€(TIGER). 07/2019 - 10/2023.
• PI: InnovateUK Bilateral UK-US offshore wind R&D. Quarter scale testing of the Intelligent Mooring System for floating offshore wind platforms. (05/2021 - 03/2022)
• PI: Carbon Trust Floating Wind JIP Dynamic Cable Failure Rates and Standards Project. In collaboration with OWC. (01/2022 - 12/2022)
• Co-I: EPSRC: Supergen Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) hub 2018. Co-Director. EP/S000747/1. Hub led by Plymouth University, 07/2018 - 04/2023.
• PI: Carbon Trust Floating Wind Joint Industry Project, Floating Wind Technology Acceleration Competition, Intelligent Mooring systems, in collaboration with Intelligent Mooring Systems. (01/2020 - 01/2021)
• Co-I: EU-INTERREG: Funding Atlantic Network for Blue Economy Technology Transfer (FANBEST). (EAPA_1022/2018) funded by Interreg Atlantic Area Programme (European Regional Development Fund). 01/2019 - 12/2021.
• Co-I: EU H2020: Innovative, low cost, low weight and safe floating wind technology optimized for deep water wind sites. (FLOTANT). Grant Nr 815289. Project led by Plocan, Spain. 04/2019 - 03/2022.
• PI: INNOVATE UK, Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISFC). Autonomous Robotic Intervention System For Extreme Maritime Environments (ARISE) Stage 2, Grant 104831, led by L3HARRIS ASV Ltd, 03/2019 – 05/2021.
• Co-I: EPSRC: Resilient Integrated-Coupled Floating Offshore WInd platform design methofology (ResIn). EP/R007519/1. Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF), collaborative project with Dalian Uniceristy of Technology, China. 07/2017 - 07/2020.
• PI: INNOVATE UK: Dynamic Load Reduction and Station Keeping Mooring System for Floating Offshore Wind. Project led by Teqniqa Systems Ltd. Grant 103889, 10/2017 - 02/2020.
• Co-I: EU-Interreg: Intelligent Community Energy (ICE). Project led by Bretagne Developpement Innovation. France (Channel-Manche) England project. 09/2016 - 08/2020.
• Co-I: EU Horizon2020: Open Sea Operating Experience to Reduce Wave Energy Cost (OPERA). Project led by Tecnalia, Spain, Grant 654444, 02/2016-07/2019.
• Co-I: INNOVATE UK: Autonomous Robotic Intervention System for Extreme Maritime Environments (ARISE). Project led by ASV Global Ltd. Grant 104085. 12/2017 - 11/2018.
• Co-I: United Kingdom Centre for Marine Energy Research (UKCMER). Project led by Edinburgh University, EP/P008682/1, 01/2016-09/2018.
• PI: RAEng: Socio-technical assessment of risk in community energy projects - STAR. GCRF Frontiers of Engineering for Development. FOESF1617\1\1. 12/2016 - 08/2017.
• PI: Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership: AEMORE - Acoustic Emission technology for environmental and engineering health Monitoring of Offshore Renewable Energy Collaboration with SEA plc. 09/2014-03/2018
• PI: EPSRC NEWTON Fund Energy absorbing mooring systems: Risk-based investigation for high intensity typhoon conditions in China (MoTyph) EP/M019942/1. 11/2014 - 04/2015.
• Co-I: INNOVATE UK: Archimedes Wave Swing Mooring muscle - performance and reliability test programme. Project led by AWS Ocean Energy, Grant 101970, 08/2014-04/2016
• Co-I: Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF): Testing qualification and commercialisation of advanced mooring system for wave & tidal arrays, project led by TTI Ltd 01/2014 - 03/2015

PhD Supervision: Graduated:

• Diana Jelenova. (2022). EngD, IDCORE. Techno-economic analysis of offshore green hydrogen production. Joint industry project with Wood. Co-supervisor.
• Rachael Smith. (2022). PhD, University of Exeter. A Comparison Between CFD-Based Aerodynamic Models and Blade Element Momentum Theory-Based Models Applied in Coupled Simulations of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines. Co-supervisor.
• Anna Feichtner. (2022). PhD. CFD modelling of ocean wave interaction with thin perforated structures represented by their macro-scale effects. Co-supervisor.
• Elize Petrovska. (2021). EngD, IDCORE. Fatigue life reassessment of offshore wind farms. Joint industry project with EDF. Co-supervisor.
• Caitlin Worden Hodge. (2020). EngD student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). Numerical Optimisation of CCell WEC. Joint industry project Zyba Ltd. Co-supervisor.
• Alexios Koltsidopoulus Papatzimos (2020) EngD, IDCORE. Cost Reduction Opportunities for Offshore Wind Farms. Joint industry project EDF. Primary supervisor.
• Jordi Serret. (2019). EngD, IDCORE. Development of a floating structure with a raising and lowering mechanism. Joint industry project Floating Wind Turbines. Co-supervisor.
• Mairi Dorward. (2019) EngD, IDCORE. Reliability assessment and instrumentation for Offshore Renewables. Project with RealTide. Primary supervisor. Thesis received George Smith Award.
• William Jamieson (2019). EngD, IDCORE. Material and manufacturing optimisation for CCell device. Joint industry project with Zyba Renewables. Co-supervisor.
• Callum Kenny: EngD (2019). EngD, IDCORE. Sensor arrays & robust data acquisition systems for offshore renewable energy. Joint industry project NOVA, Co-supervisor.
• Edward Kay: EngD (2019). EngD, IDCORE. Optimising O&M strategies for the offshore wind sector using met ocean planning tools. Joint industry project JBA. Co-supervisor.
• Fraser Ewing (2019). EngD. IDCORE. Reliability Simulation for Tidal power take offs. Joint Industry project with DNV-GL. Co-supervisor.
• Jodi Walsh: Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP) studentship. Acoustic Emission technology for environmental and engineering health Monitoring of Offshore Renewable Energy. Primary supervisor. 02/2019.
• Faryal Kahlid: University of Exeter. Reliability assessment approach through geospatial mapping for offshore wind energy. Primary supervisor. 06/2019.
• Jack Paterson: Eng.D. student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). Risk management of offshore wind project development. Joint industry project with EDF. Primary supervisor. 05/2019.
• Giovanni Rinaldi: EU OceanNet programme. An integrated operation and maintenance framework for offshore renewabale energy. Joint industry project with Mojo Maritime Ltd, Co-supervisor. 02/2019.
• Sunny Shah: Eng.D. student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). De-risking marine energy project development through improved uncertainty analysis. Joint industry project with Black & Veatch. Primary supervisor. 05/2018.
• Leah Ewart; Eng.D. student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). Material selection and structural design for wave energy devices. Joint industry project with Albatern. Co-supervisor. 12/2018.
• Steven Allsop: Eng.D. student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). Marine Energy Converters - Reliability & Cost Modelling. Joint industry project with EDF, Primary supervisor. 03/2018.
• Laurie Wilkinson: Eng.D. student, Industrial Doctorate Centre in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE). The use of compliant and continuous structures in the nearshore environment for the purpose of wave energy extraction. Co-supervisor. 10/2017.
• Violette Harnois: Analysis of Highly Dynamic Mooring Systems: Peak Mooring Loads in Realistic Sea Conditions. Co-supervisor. 10/2014
• Tessa Gordelier: EPSRC SuperGen Marine initiative (UKCMER), Enhancing wave energy developments through mooring sytem reliability assessment. Co-supervisor. 07/2016.

Ongoing:

• Hannah Mitchell, EngD student, IDCORE, End of life extension for offshore wind turbines. Joint industry project with Frazer Nash, Primary Supervisor.
• Ione Smith, EngD student, IDCORE, Recyclability of composite tidal turbine blades: use of thermoplastic resins. Joint industry project with FASTBlade, Co-supervisor.
• Andrew Russel. EngD student, IDCORE, LIDAR-assisted Control of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines, Joint industry project with Wood Group, Co-supervisor.
• Susana Torres Gutierrez. EngD student, IDCORE. Installation and O&M modelling for offshore wind. Joint industry project with JBA. Primary supervisor.
• Ben Moverley-Smith. EngD student, IDCORE. De-risking Floating Offshore Wind Installations. Joint industry project with XODUS. Primary supervisor.
• Alan Crowle. MRes student, University of Exeter, Installation of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines, Primary supervisor.
• Raul de la Fuente Pinto, PhD student. University of Exeter. RAEng funded. Modelling grid resilience for rural communicates in South Africa. Co-supervisor.
• Paul Newman. I-CASE PhD student. Autonomous Vessel applications for offshore wind. I-CASE project tin collaboration with EDF. Co-supervisor.
• Faruk Divarci, MPH Law, Economic use of the national sea areas considering international environmental law. Co-supervisor.

Education

During his Ph.D., titled "Advancing reliability information for Wave Energy Converters". Philipp contributed to the development and implementation of a large-scale component test rig, the Dynamic Marine Component test facility (DMaC). The test rig is currently being used to verify the performance and reliability of components under dynamic marine load conditions. Typical components include dynamic power cables and mooring systems for floating applications.

He also developed a Bayesian statistical approach to evaluate failure rates in situations of data scarcity and carried out studies for the load and fatigue estimation of marine power cables and mooring components in marine energy applications.

Philipp also holds a first class Dipl. Wi.-Ing. in Energy and Environmental Management (similar to a MEng) form the University of Flensburg, Germany where he studied from 2004-2008. This interdisciplinary course gives him a strong background in economic theory and renewable energy technologies for climate change mitigation, transition pathways as well as energy and emission trading.

Awards, Fellowships

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Member of the IMEchE
• Member of the Verein Deutscher Ingenierue (VDI)
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) award for Best Early-Career Researcher Paper at the 19th Advances in Risk and Reliability Technology Symposium (ARRTS), Stratford upon Avon, 14 April 2011. Presentation slides can be accessed here.
• The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Postgraduate Scholarship 2010.
• Engineering and Physical Sciences PhD studentship under the SuperGen Marine Consortium.