Inaugural Lecture of Professor Vengatesan Venugopal Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering Inaugural lecture capture Advancing offshore wind infrastructure: Hydrodynamics of lazy wave power cablesThe rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy - particularly wind, wave, and tidal power - requires innovative engineering solutions to efficiently harness ocean resources. As offshore wind farms extend into deeper waters, submarine power cables face increasing environmental and operational challenges. Conventional static and catenary-based cable systems, though effective in shallow waters, are unsuitable for floating wind platforms, which are subjected to continuous motion from waves, currents, and wind forces. To address these challenges, the industry has adopted lazy wave power cables, a specialized form of dynamic subsea cabling that incorporates buoyant sections to create a controlled wave-shaped profile in the water column. This design mitigates mechanical stress and fatigue by decoupling the movement of floating wind turbines from their seabed connection points, significantly enhancing cable longevity and reliability.The hydrodynamic behaviour of lazy wave power cables is shaped by complicated interactions between ocean waves and currents, wave-induced motions, and the dynamic response of floating wind platforms. In this inaugural lecture, I will examine how these cables interact with waves and currents, the mechanisms driving vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of the cable in combined flow conditions, and the hydrodynamic forces that impact their structural integrity, stability, and long-term performance.BiographyVenki was born in Pondicherry, a former French colony (now a Union Territory of India), and was educated and employed in India before moving to Scotland in 1997. He takes great pride in his engineering degrees: a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering (1991) from Pondicherry University and a Master of Technology in Ocean Engineering (1994) from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). After three years as a research assistant at IIT Madras, he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1997 to pursue a PhD in the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He later worked as a research associate and then as a research fellow at Heriot-Watt University from 2000 to 2005. In November 2005, he joined the University of Edinburgh as a lecturer in the Institute for Energy Systems (IES). Over the next 20 years, his role evolved from lecturer to senior lecturer, reader, and ultimately, Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering. He also served as head of the research institute for about four years, stepping down in March 2023.His research has focused on four key areas: wave energy, tidal energy, offshore wind energy, and coastal engineering. He takes pride in his contributions to these fields and the knowledge he has imparted to his PhD students and research staff, many of whom have gone on to achieve great success and continue working in these areas.Venki is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Professor Vengatesan Venugopal, School of Engineering profile Tags Energy Systems Mechanical Engineering Mar 12 2025 17.30 - 19.00 Inaugural Lecture of Professor Vengatesan Venugopal Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy - particularly wind, wave, and tidal power - requires innovative engineering solutions to efficiently harness ocean resources. Alder Lecture Theatre, Nucleus Building, King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh
Inaugural Lecture of Professor Vengatesan Venugopal Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering Inaugural lecture capture Advancing offshore wind infrastructure: Hydrodynamics of lazy wave power cablesThe rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy - particularly wind, wave, and tidal power - requires innovative engineering solutions to efficiently harness ocean resources. As offshore wind farms extend into deeper waters, submarine power cables face increasing environmental and operational challenges. Conventional static and catenary-based cable systems, though effective in shallow waters, are unsuitable for floating wind platforms, which are subjected to continuous motion from waves, currents, and wind forces. To address these challenges, the industry has adopted lazy wave power cables, a specialized form of dynamic subsea cabling that incorporates buoyant sections to create a controlled wave-shaped profile in the water column. This design mitigates mechanical stress and fatigue by decoupling the movement of floating wind turbines from their seabed connection points, significantly enhancing cable longevity and reliability.The hydrodynamic behaviour of lazy wave power cables is shaped by complicated interactions between ocean waves and currents, wave-induced motions, and the dynamic response of floating wind platforms. In this inaugural lecture, I will examine how these cables interact with waves and currents, the mechanisms driving vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of the cable in combined flow conditions, and the hydrodynamic forces that impact their structural integrity, stability, and long-term performance.BiographyVenki was born in Pondicherry, a former French colony (now a Union Territory of India), and was educated and employed in India before moving to Scotland in 1997. He takes great pride in his engineering degrees: a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering (1991) from Pondicherry University and a Master of Technology in Ocean Engineering (1994) from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). After three years as a research assistant at IIT Madras, he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1997 to pursue a PhD in the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He later worked as a research associate and then as a research fellow at Heriot-Watt University from 2000 to 2005. In November 2005, he joined the University of Edinburgh as a lecturer in the Institute for Energy Systems (IES). Over the next 20 years, his role evolved from lecturer to senior lecturer, reader, and ultimately, Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering. He also served as head of the research institute for about four years, stepping down in March 2023.His research has focused on four key areas: wave energy, tidal energy, offshore wind energy, and coastal engineering. He takes pride in his contributions to these fields and the knowledge he has imparted to his PhD students and research staff, many of whom have gone on to achieve great success and continue working in these areas.Venki is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Professor Vengatesan Venugopal, School of Engineering profile Tags Energy Systems Mechanical Engineering Mar 12 2025 17.30 - 19.00 Inaugural Lecture of Professor Vengatesan Venugopal Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy - particularly wind, wave, and tidal power - requires innovative engineering solutions to efficiently harness ocean resources. Alder Lecture Theatre, Nucleus Building, King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh
Mar 12 2025 17.30 - 19.00 Inaugural Lecture of Professor Vengatesan Venugopal Personal Chair in Ocean Engineering The rapid expansion of offshore renewable energy - particularly wind, wave, and tidal power - requires innovative engineering solutions to efficiently harness ocean resources.
