Test and measurement specialist HBM has won a contract to install strain gauges inside Minesto's Deep Green tidal power plant.
As part of the rigorous development work undertaken by Minesto, HBM was able to play a key role in verifying how the plant behaved in the water and how it measured the forces to which it was exposed.
Although relatively protected inside the power plant, the most important issue was to ensure that the moist environment in no way compromised the measurement result. HBM's installation and sizing technology for offshore environments successfully achieved this.
The restricted space inside the prototype presented another challenge in terms of installation. HBM addressed through gluing the strain gauges directly onto the plant components before they were assembled in Minesto's laboratory.
"We have received very good support from HBM. Strain gauges are not part of our core business, so it's important to get the expertise in measurement technology," explains Arne Quappen, Project Manager at Minesto. "HBM has experience from offshore installations and has better tools than we would have access to. In the end, it is both easier and cheaper to use professional help, to ensure the installation is solid and able to provide reliable measurement results."
Deep Green is currently undergoing long-term ocean trials in quarter scale in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland.
