Adjoint-based methods have become the most interesting approach in numerical optimisation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) due to their low computational cost compared to other approaches. The development of adjoint solvers has seen significant research interest, and a number of EC projects have been funded on adjoint-based optimisation. In particular, partners of this proposal are members of the EC FP7 projects FlowHead and AboutFlow which develops complete adjoint-based design methods for steady-state and unsteady flows in industrial design. Two related bottlenecks of applying goal-based optimisation in CFD are addressed here a) the efficient but flexible and automatic parametrisation of arbitrary shapes, and b) the imposition of design constraints. Parametrisation is at the core of optimisation, it defines the design space that the optimising algorithm is exploring. A range of parametrisations will be developed in the project, ranging from simple CAD-free methods with rich design spaces to CAD-based methods that return the optimised shape in CAD form. Integration of the currently available shape and topology modification approaches with the gradient-based optimisation approach will be addressed, in particular development of interfaces to return optimised CAD-free shapes into CAD for further design and analysis, an aspect that currently requires manual interpretation by an expert user. Constraints are at the core of industrial design, e.g. an optimised climate ducts for a vehicle needs to fit into the available build space. The project will develop efficient ways to extract constraints specified in the CAD model and apply them to CAD-free parametrisations. Methods will be developed to quantify how much the limited design space impairs the optimum and then to adaptively refine it. The results of the project will be applied to realistic mid-size and large-scale industrial optimisation problems supplied by the industrial project partners ranging from

Ocean Energy can play an important role in addressing one of the EU’s biggest challenges: providing clean, affordable and sustainable energy. However, ocean energy technologies are not yet mature enough to overcome all challenges related to performance, reliability, survivability, and resulting cost of energy. DTOceanPlus will accelerate the commercialisation of the Ocean Energy sector by developing and demonstrating an open source suite of design tools for the selection, development, deployment and assessment of ocean energy systems (including sub-systems, energy capture devices and arrays). This will align innovation and development processes with those used in mature engineering sectors. - Technology concept selection will be facilitated by a Structured Innovation tool. - Technology development will be enabled by a Stage-Gate tool. - Technology deployment will be supported by a 2nd generation of the FP7 DTOcean tools. This suite of design tools will reduce the technical and financial risks of the technology to achieve the deployment of cost-competitive wave and tidal arrays. DTOceanPlus will underpin a rapid reduction in the Levelised Cost of Energy offered by facilitating improvement in the reliability, performance and survivability of ocean energy systems and analysing the impact of design on energy yield, O&M and the environment, thus making the sector more attractive for private investment. These objectives and impacts will be achieved through the implementation of 9 work packages covering user engagement, tool development, demonstration of tools against real projects (thus outputting a suite of tools at TRL 6), analysis of supply chains and potential markets, exploitation, dissemination and education. The DTOceanPlus consortium has been formed to include representatives of all key user and stakeholder groups. It includes all core partners from the FP7 DTOcean project along with the developers of Europe’s leading ocean energy sub-systems, devices and arrays.

The ROBINS project aims at filling the technology and regulatory gaps that today still represent a barrier to the adoption of Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) in activities related to inspection of ships, understanding end user’s actual needs and expectations and analyzing how existing or near-future technology can meet them. ROBINS aims to improve the ability of RAS in sensing and probing, in navigation and positioning in confined spaces, as well as the capability to access and move safely within hazardous spaces. ROBINS also aims to provide new software tools for image and data processing, e.g. for production of 3D models and virtual/augmented reality environments, to provide the surveyor with the same level of information as obtained by direct human observation. A framework for the assessment of equivalence between the outcomes of RAS-assisted inspections and traditional procedures will also be provided by defining test procedures, criteria and metrics for the evaluation of RAS performance. Test campaigns will be performed both on-board and in a specific testing facility, where repeatable tests and measurements can be carried out. The development of robust technical solutions and a regulatory framework for RAS-assisted ship inspection is expected to streamline wide scale adoption of RAS technology in marine industry. The impact on safety, as far as hazardous environments are involved, can be easily understood and has already been witnessed in similar industrial domains (energy, oil and gas). The economic impact is expected to be beneficial for robotics industry (new supply chains and new potential markets), ICT industry (new services and products for data processing specific to marine industry), ship asset owners and operators (reduction of costs due to simplified preparation of items, reduced survey duration, improved quality and variety of inspection services) and certification bodies (new certification schemes for equipment, operators and procedures).

The expected growth of both on- and offshore wind energy is enormous and many new wind parks are planned for the coming years. Experience from the existing wind farms shows the importance of a proper micrositing of the wind turbines as well their efficient interconnection within the farm. In addition, bringing wind farms together into clusters toward a wind power plant concept might induce long distance negative interaction between the farms, reducing their expected efficiency. This might happen both on- and offshore. The high amount of connected wind power and the expected increase during the coming years, requires that this technology has to be prepared to take a more important role as of its contribution to the reliability and security of the electricity system. The present proposal, WinDTwin, targets to develop and validate an offshore wind farm digital twin (DT) for highly accurate prediction of power production and energy demand of the end user. The DT will give users tailored access to high-quality information, services, models, scenarios, forecasts, and visualisations, as a central hub for offshore wind decision-makers. And will also serve as platform, offering users access to a comprehensive array of high-quality resources, services, models, scenarios, forecasts, and visualisations. WinDTwin seeks to revolutionise the way industry professionals make informed choices. To reach WinDTwin expected impact, the ambitious innovation-led research proposed necessitates bringing together a range of skills and expertise which cannot be found within a single member country or institution. We have put together a unique team that has a broad range of expertise through the whole wind energy development process; ranging from the management of wind energy production and development of industrial codes, numerical methods, algorithms, ensuring the uptake of improved methodologies.. The WinDTwin consortium consists of 13 organizations from 7 different Member States.