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Ocean laboratory

The Ocean Basin is a cutting-edge facility designed for hydrodynamic model testing of ships and marine structures and full-scale hydrodynamic testing of components such as electric cables.

Contact person

With its large waterplane area and its adjustable water depth, the basin is ideal for testing of structures in deep and finite water depth.

The key features of the Ocean basin are: 

  • Large waterplane area of 80 m (L) × 50 m (W) × 0-10 m (D). The adjustable floor covers 42x48 m of the basin area. 
  • Adjustable water depth from 0 to 8.7 m by use of the movable floor. 
  • Wave generation by use of paddle type wavemakers on two sides of the basin, capable of producing regular, irregular, and extreme waves, both long and short crested. 
  • Current generation in the longitudinal direction of the basin. Adjustable current velocity with a triangular vertical profile. 
  • Wind generation by use of a movable fan battery, blowing at the test set-up from any heading angle. Both constant and varying wind (gust spectrum), can be provided. 
  • Cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) for application of external loads on floater models. Typically used for the application of mooring or wind loads by use of cyber-physical testing.  

Key Instrumentation: 

  • Above- and under water optical position motion system.  
  • Above- and under water HD camera system including use of Augmented Reality for information overlay. 
  • Large range of high-fidelity sensors for measurement of tension, internal loads, wave loads, wave elevations, current speed and direction. 

Applications 

Our state-of-the-art facility provides essential support to industries and researchers across a diverse range of ocean technologies: 

Offshore wind energy

We conduct rigorous testing of floating wind turbine concepts under realistic conditions. Our real-time hybrid model testing method is often employed for aerodynamic loads, allowing for flexible testing with varying levels of fidelity, from constant to turbulent wind. We test both stiff and flexible turbine models, enabling the extraction of structural responses in addition to loads. 

Ship hydrodynamics

Our expertise extends to evaluating crucial aspects of ship performance, including seakeeping, manoeuvring, and resistance. This ensures optimal design for efficiency and safety. 

Oil & Gas Infrastructures

We analyse vital parameters for offshore platforms such as station-keeping, environmental loads, and structural responses. Our extensive project experience includes investigating phenomena like green water on deck, relative air gap, and slamming loads. We've also developed specialised tools for extracting hydrodynamic quadratic transfer functions from model test results and for predicting green water loads. 

Aquaculture

SINTEF Ocean has played a significant role in supporting the industry with the development of both traditional and innovative fish farming technologies, continuously evolving our model testing techniques to meet industry needs. We measure both loads on and response of rigid, semi-rigid and flexible fish farms. We have advanced measurement tools for both above and under water.  

History

The ocean basin was built in the early 1980s to support the maritime industry and the newly developing oil and gas industry in Norway. The O&G industry was in its early years, and it was understood that several challenges would have to be solved, and that technological breakthroughs were needed to make this industry successful. The ambition was that that the security of infrastructure, the environment and personnel would be ensured through regulation, and that Norway would play a central role in the development of these competences.  

The Norwegian Ocean Basin served as a cornerstone in fostering a high level of scientific expertise in maritime and marine technology. By providing essential experimental results, the basin facilitated the development of physical and theoretical insights, directly supporting the design of new ships and offshore oil and gas infrastructure.  

Over the years, the ocean basin and the competences of the group operating the basin have evolved to serve emerging ocean industries such as fish farming and renewable energy (wind-, solar-, and ocean energy).  

Looking ahead, new challenges and opportunities in ocean technology are anticipated. To address these future needs, the Norwegian state, in collaboration with NTNU and SINTEF Ocean, initiated the construction of the new Ocean Technology Centre in 2022. This state-of-the-art facility will house advanced hydrodynamic testing capabilities, further cementing Norway's position at the forefront of ocean research and innovation. 

Why choose SINTEF? 

Our state-of-the-art, large-scale facility is designed to accommodate substantial models, ensuring minimal wave reflection for highly accurate results. This advanced infrastructure, combined with our unique problem-solving expertise, means we can tackle an extensive range of complex challenges for the ocean industries. 

Beyond our cutting-edge facilities, you'll benefit from the collaborative environment at SINTEF Ocean. We are at the forefront of developing new knowledge and advanced simulation tools that directly support the ocean industries. Our close ties with NTNU (the Norwegian University of Science and Technology) further enrich our capabilities, providing access to a broad spectrum of research and academic excellence. 

The Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre 

We are currently building a new Ocean Basin and Seakeeping and Manoeuvring basin that will be part of the new Ocean Technology Centre. Today’s Ocean Basin will be operational until the new Ocean Basin and seakeeping and manoeuvring basins are ready. More information about the Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre can be found here: The Norwegian Ocean Technology Centre

Contact information

Contact person: Maxime Thys

Visiting address:
Professor J.H.L. Vogts veg 1, Trondheim, Norway