UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE
HR Wallingford’s Fast Flow Facility provides a controlled environment in which to evaluate the effects of currents on full-sized UXO
FEATURE SPONSOR
PREDICTING THE MOVEMENT OF
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE IN THE NORTH SEA If their locations are not precisely known, unexploded wartime ordnance in the sea can
present an obvious hazard during the construction of offshore grid connections and during the laying of cables to bring offshore wind energy to shore
HR Wallingford has been using its Fast Flow Facility to help TenneT and the University of Rostock to obtain data that will help to predict the movement of unexploded ordnance in the North Sea.
Potential sites for offshore cable routes and platform locations undergo a dedicated unexploded ordnance (UXO) survey. While these surveys allow UXO locations to be pinpointed on a particular date, the action of currents and waves may mean that the UXO migrate over time, making it necessary to repeat these UXO measures, for example in the case of a cable repair.
MOVEMENT MODEL
The University of Rostock in Germany has developed a model of unexploded ordnance movement. With co-funding from TenneT, a new project is seeking to generate large-scale data to better inform and validate this model.
Dr Peter Menzel, from the Sediment Transport Research Group at the Chair for Ocean Engineering at the University of Rostock explained: “We have provided a model of a 1:1 scale 250lb World War II bomb and other typical unexploded ordnance at 1:2 scale. We are investigating how deeply UXO bury
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themselves over time, as well as how current speed affects the movement of UXO, as well as how rates of flow affect scour around UXO.”
Prof. Richard Whitehouse, Chief Technical Director, Sediment Dynamics at HR Wallingford, also commented: “In these experiments, we are using our expertise in the analysis and modelling of marine scour processes. Our Fast Flow Facility provides a controlled environment in which to evaluate the effects of currents on full-sized UXO.”
Dr Anja Drews, TenneT, added: “Being able to know and to quantify the circumstances under which
unexploded ordnance move enables us to determine appropriate UXO measures in renewable marine energy projects. By funding this research, we are helping to ensure that knowledge in the industry about UXO movement is as accurate as possible, improving safety by quantifying, and thereby minimising, the risk to people and equipment.”
HR Wallingford
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BROCHURE
(L to R) Esther Gomes, Prof Richard Whitehouse, Clemens Schütt (University of Rostock), Tjark Mehring (TenneT), Dr Anja Drews (TenneT), Dr Peter Menzel (University of Rostock), Dr David Todd and Joe Mitchell with the 1:1 scale model WWII bomb at HR Wallingford’s Fast Flow Facility
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