End of secondment in Aberdeen and Training week Barcelona

Hi all ,

Sorry for the disappointing update frequency of this blog, its really a hard task a "not pure breeded social guy". That is why we all want to follow these guys that live of youtube and blogs, but almost anyone can make it :) 

Well, I will do a quick update of the things at work and talk about how was the second phase of my secondment. 

As you know I am now in Aberdeen. A city that I have to tell you is not as bad as as I thought in first place. I was thinking earlier this week, and its true, expectation is the secret for a happy life. Everyone was before, you're going to Aberdeen in Winter? Good luck! Or... you'll go crazy...etc etc 

In the end it wasn't that bad. Its a small city but very nice. Its grey, its true, but has its own spirit. The times were better before when oil was "pumping" people say, well... its the time for new clean energy...I say :) use that positive tension to foment it.

So, this is my last week here. Well, I enjoyed but its time to go back. It was a very enriching experience. 

Talking a bit about my work, which I rarely do but I should. 

These for months of secondment contributed for settling interesting knowledge in the analysis of offshore wind turbines, modelling them, analysing loads, getting the feeling of "something is wrong with these results" and more,  much faster than I would do anyway on my own.  This helped to boost my work a lot and I have to say, I even exceeded my expectation on how much I could get in  this 4+a bit months. Again, low expectations are the secret ! Haha 

It went great, now its time to go back, settle knowledge and return in the future. 

I have been working in applying probabilistic methodologies to Offshore wind turbines in the specific case of the fatigue. Fatigue is a very challenging topic for offshore wind turbines, it can drive the failure of towers for example but also its quite resource consuming. Its good to melt your brain ! 

Lets see, now that things are more settled in the analysis and understanding of the dynamics of the turbine, what value can be added to its probabilistic analysis. I already have very nice ideas that were submitted to a conference, but the complexity is big and I hope to talk about them here very soon. 

You know that we had a trainning week in January? Yes, I would like to leave here a special thanks to all the organisers from TRUSS and UPC. 

It was great, again, Its crazy how much you can learn when the teaching process is carefully aimed. We should really think about this...

Anyway, here we are; all happy. This is us: 

And this is us v them (some of them...): 

Well, I left a topic unfinished I hope to finish it next time. I'll also bring more news on work development too.

Tchin tchin ! New design too

Rui 

End of first phase of secondment and 2017 greetings

Hello guys,

Here I am again to tell you a bit more about my recent adventures. 

Last month I just finished the first phase of my secondment in London. What this means?! Yes, I left London...I'm now in Aberdeen, but midway I would like to share some of what I learn and how some things bother me...hmmm..

Overall the experience of the secondment in London was great! I won't say everything was a sea of flowers...no..it wasn't. The secondment experience can be quite disruptive. Among going to a big city, changes of house, one thousand travels, etc etc your energy gets "pulled" out of you quite fast and that can be really disruptive for your day to day work. 

Fortunately, I experienced all of that, which is also an important part of the learning process, but from the work side I had a very productive learning experience that really minimised all the negative effects I mentioned.
I know I was lucky. When going on a secondment these conditions are unlikely to be found. That's why I would like to thank all the people that I worked with during these two months. (With a special thanks to my supervisor in Lloyd's from whom I learned crazy amount of stuff ). 

They didn't save me from some little positive embarrassment in the goodbye with a speech (which is traditional from long term workers)... it was funny... So, here, thank you all!

Also, some days after leaving I won there (even not being there) a bottle of wine in a raffle...its funny...I never get one win in these things....and when I get....I'm not there hahaha

Now, talking about other things... 

One of the things that I enjoyed in Lloyd's was the working culture, and with that I learned a lot! I believe is something common in the places I got to know recently. There the culture is highly focused on the worker and it's life.

This is really great and positive and I am highlighting it here because it is something that always disturbed me as someone that sees the working culture decay everyday with the current mess we have in the world (Portugal is a very good "generalized" example for instance where the culture of work being already bad has also been decaying since the economical crisis). 

I always wondered how can lots of Portuguese companies sum so many hours of work and yet we are still quite a not very rich country comparing with the European average..(there are exceptions of course)? It took me ages to understand, and I didn't yet...
We know that there are numerous macroscopic "things" that explains this. Although, from the side of the work I believe we are doing it all wrong. During these 2 months I realised that having some positive "worker" working culture is really important.

First point is, working too many hours is against your production as this usually means, for instance, having less time for yourself . And regardless of the job brainstorming or physical complexity, you need that time. I experienced both sides before, and this right balance much fomented by Lloyd's worked really well.

Second point, is imeasurable how much people can do when they are spiritually well. Okay, motivation is almos eveything but having a positive working culture really helps..its not just something adopted from the trendy IT companies out of nothing... it really works.  

Well, the negative part is that currently there's no point in adressing deeply the talk about working culture.
There are companies that always worked bad (most of them), there are companies that always worked well. Maybe in the past the divergence and discomfort of the people working didn't show as much as now and that´s not because the new people are weak (as many people say) or are used to facilitism.
It is because in the past, there was plenty to everyone, so that any discomfort was covered by this plenty of advantages and economic resources given to the workers (e.g. extra-hours paid, crazy opportunities of progressing career, etc). Today, things are really different.

Anyway, its nice to defend and  foment the working culture. We have seen lots of entities working hard on that but in reality the very short future tells us that the real challenge is what to do with people and their free time...

Starting 2017 in big style with a heavy message. Sorry! I had started this text in 2016  and in the first of the year I was lazy to start another text again...

Happy New Year !!! Enjoy 2017 and lets work together for the best success in this crazy changing world!

Ill be back soon with the continuation of my experience and reflection on working culture, or lets say, "non-working" culture !

Cmon, it's time to talk about work again...

Hi guys,

Yes..it's been a long time since I talked about work...so, no escaping today. 

It's amazing, only one year has passed...fast like I don't know what..and I feel I have learned quite a lot. Well, but I'm still far from a relevant level...just 5 minutes of talking with any of my supervisors, at Trinity or Lloyd's to have my intelectual ego put at place again!

So, I started with a probabilistic assessment of the reliability methodologies used to analise offshore wind turbine towers and foundations, then I diverged to the analysis of external loads and how to extrapolate extreme events, with particular focus on significant wave heights. Currently I am again working on the turbine tower itself. 

For that I have been learning and working with an amazing open source software that probably all of you are working with wind turbines know about; FAST developed by NREL from United States. For  an open source software it's really capable. Basically, lets say its developers deserve a statue in the wind energy research world. Well, but not everything is a sea of flowers, it's learning curve can be quite harsh... 

Lloyd's has been a great "support" so far. It's really good to have this close contact from a company with so much experience. Only "seeing" everything from the university can be quite hard to get the real awareness of how things are processed in the business world. 

The analysis of turbine towers is straightforward but complex. They are calculated with the partial safety codes recommended in the standard and with support of several Design Load Cases (usually called DLC) to guide the designer. Of course these codes have a whole world of probabilistic assessment background.

No surprise that such a technological sector has such advanced techniques and a whole world of regulations behind. Well you know...its a big sector... usually, if  "mountains" are not moved that means that there is not enough money at stake...

Anyway, dark things aside, like in almost every field (and one of the reasons why there is all this ruckus around the research world and its inadaptability to real applications) there are still some gaps between the industrial world and the research world.

I am now focusing on how to define the failure of the offshore wind turbines, and the first thing I have seen....there are lot's of really interesting methods, with really huge potential to be applied in the analysis of offshore wind turbines. We are talking of methods that probably are able to acess the reliability of a wind turbine  for some of the more complicated DLC in less than one day.

Yet the industry still keeps analysing these same DLC in months or (more if multiple computers and processing methods are note use). What's wrong here?

I believe there is a big problem of perception...and I believe that almost everyone has this perception..so nothing new.

These amazing methodologies, sometimes, are not that tangible. But tangible approaches in their way may not be that interesting from the point of view of research. For companies is hard to put so much at stake risking with something that they "cannot" touch to some extent. So, where do we stay here? Well, approaches like TRUSS are looking directly to fill this space full of new blood (don't look at it with all that inovative sense, this is the gap were more money is being invested lately). Maybe we won't turn 10000 time domain simulations in 70, but if we can make it 2000 Wooww!

In the end, apart from all the critics to the research world and industrial world we listen around magazines, news, etc, I really believe everyone is really bringing their best to achieve new improvements.

And this applies to everything, is really easy to sit and criticize so much stuff...and you don't need to be at home in the coach...or be the Portuguese called "bench coaches" (ones that criticize without any responsability or are deeply destructive in their approach)  but also everyone in the profissional world, etc etc... So, be carefull with your approach if you in some sense feel that you don't know better, but deeply. And most of the times, if you really feel you know better, I would say you're wrong.

It gets always boring when the topic is work :) see you soon!

Anyway,the real question that I have been wondering lately is, who programs the traffic lights in Dublin?... talk about real crazy and full of adrenaline experiences...

New phase : Secondment

Hello guys!

Well, here I am to tell about the new phase I just got into. 

In the beginning of October I just started my secondment at Lloyd's Register. Yes yes you all know it because I said in my previous post...but this time is for real, not just an especulation about what will happen.

So, this means 2 weeks in London working in a big company. For me, a completely different experience. I worked in a company before but this is big. 

And big is really the word to qualify London. 

First day of secondment and it was automatically beginner mistake. In London everyone dresses minimally formal, keep that in mind for future experiences. Well, it is not something that I am crazy about or support much but in this "old world" Is still a rule and it won't change in one day, takes time. Of course that with time I got my pace too. 

People in my office are very nice too. Already made some good friends, friends of coffee, friends of the weekly day out to lunch, friends of works discussion and friends out of work...well...etc etc. The important part is that I have been around people that have lots of "kilometers" or better...miles in the offshore engineering field and that has been quite rewarding. Big learning process!

About London, is what you know, experienced or heard about. It's hugeeee! And crazy! I have been taking my time to walk around and know the city. For instance in Saturday I walked 27 km and Sunday I went to the Natural history museum and crashed in the middle of the visit (which took me 4h, you can tell how big) ...well, it was the weight of the age talking louder. 

Some areas of London are lovely, really amazing. It's great for some time. Really great. 

Already found, accidentally, a place to go chill out some time. A pleasant surprise. Definitely my favorite spot in London...but you need to go like 5 minutes before closing for 5 minutes of reflection. Or when it is raining like infinite, otherwise it will be packed. 

It is just perfect to go out inside. Kyoto garden. 

Well, that was all for now. I'll come back soon. 

P.S. guys, no worries, I still prefer Dublin...I'll be back. 

Quick Update and Start of New Season

Hello guys,

Here we are again after a long period out. My fault as always...
Today, I'll make a small update of the situation around here.

First, some new things!
Regarding work, things are progressing well. Just finishing a substantial part of the work now, one that I've been working the last months.  And then embrace a new challenge.

Sooo,  as part of the program I'll be moving to London and Aberdeen during 4 months starting very likely in the beginning of October. Going to work on a company called Lloyd's Register.  Probably many of you heard about...

Well, Lloyd's Register it's a super company from the UK that has a cross sectorial approach with activity in many engineering fields. Offices all around UK, and that's what will make me go around a bit. Anyway, for sure a very enlightening experience.

Two weeks ago was in CERI2016 presenting a paper on the comparative assessment of methodologies to estimate the probability of failure of offshore wind turbine towers! Seeing some friends, doing new ones and discussing research in contemporary way. That was it!

Heavy TRUSS around there :) 

To end, I'll leave you with the most recent creation by our "mastermind"  behind the scenes... But let's leave that mastermind thing for when she receives her statue ... 

I'll come back soon! Stay tuned!

Landscape vs Wind Turbines

So, as promised, today I come with the topic: " Is the combination Wind Turbines-landscape good or not?".

Some of you may be thinking now: "Yes, sure they are!"; others, "Are you crazy? They're horrible!". The more "raw" people will be "This guy lost his mind, that's too relative and who cares...". And we continue further on...

That's it! This is how fundamental this question is. As an example I remember a story from one professor I had back when I was doing my degree.He called the "coffee machine story". (he was one of the "big-mans" behind the growth of wind energy in Portugal... country that, for  the most distracted, just set last month the new record of time operating exclusively on renewable energy, 107 hours! Very proud! Good to break the ice and appear in the international news for good reasons!)

What's the story of the coffee machine? Back in the beginning of the Wind energy in Portugal he was getting a coffee in a conference and, at separated times, met two old colleagues from the time when he was studying.

So, he ran into the first, who immediately started to complain about a wind farm that was installed in the North:

- "What are you doing with those ugly machines? I cant even look now.. I'm almost covering my car's windows full of old landscapes photos to enjoy the way back! What will be the next step?!"

Of course, a big disappointment for someone that was putting so much heart into the wind turbines. 5 minutes after, comes the other old colleague:

-"How are you? It's amazing this new thing of wind turbines! Now every time I leave my home to work I go looking at them, such an excitement. Every morning I start wondering: Will they be rotating or not today?"

This shows the extent of the disparity between comments regarding the wind turbines vs the landscape. It happened in seconds! 

Personally, I like them. When it come to the offshore ones, I even like to go the coast and see them. But I understand those who don't. Maybe seeing it everyday is not the same and well, this is it, everyone has different connections with the landscape.

Apart from the "small talk", there's one fundamental thing above all the criticism, the aesthetics and the "beautiness", to me these equipment are still one of the best shots that we have for "clean energy". They are big in power, have quite an acceptable life-cycle footprint and the environmental impacts are still among the less worst ones. Inside our system they are everyday more economically competitive and yes, they kill birds...but not all these people say...

Yes, I know...I know...There are other alternatives, and renewable energy is not everything when it comes to saving the world.

I agree, maybe the timing of renewable energy is not yet there. I know that we should focus on what we have first and make things more efficient, energetic efficiency.
Yes, today we have such deep issues to solve first and so many "fires" to control that nobody knows where to look...  

But one thing for sure, I don't think we can disregard the wind turbines only because the look bad in the landscape. I believe that going from the current system to a sustainable system will only be possible through giving up on some things. And that will reach everyone.

For everyone, in all the directions you can criticize the wind turbines (landscape impact, enviromental impact, uncertainty, killing of birds, etc etc) or even in any kind of critic you might do in your life, explaining your point without a well sustained alternatives is not an option. Simply not valid.

In the end, there is not that much of relative when it comes to the fundamentals of common world's well being.
We are still in the phase of general awareness. Irony for our sophisticated minds. 

And you, what do you think about all this? 

Topic Introduction

Hi everyone again! Long time no see. If I said that a blogger life is easy I take out those words, inspiration is not easy to find these days!

In the second intervention in my blog I intend to talk a bit about my work. oshhhh...boring...

Since my last post my work has been progressing smoothly, in this phase I´m looking only to the load model that loads a wind turbine and its support structures (external variables like the wind, waves...etc) and how to treat it statistically. Recently I have been analyzing offshore data that was collected in Ireland over the last 12 years (a courtesy of Met-Éireann).

Now! Engineering things like offshore wind turbines are built with the expectation of a long, prosperous and peaceful live. If that does not happen, as an engineer prepare to wake up with some investors in front of your door in their classical "stressed" style but instead of holding black cases, holding axes, knives, guns and well... one or another with a flamethrower...

So, how can we guarantee that nothing is going wrong and we have a long life in our turbine?

The first step is guaranteeing that we know what is going to load the turbine very well.

But, in time gaps of 10, 20, 30 years?

Can you imagine if every time we wanted to address a certain site we needed to measure 10, 20 or 30 years of data to accurately characterize the long term behavior of any physical phenomena?

For some purposes we might do it but, on a daily basis, no way!, in the crazy world we live there's no time for that! We really need something that makes the process much faster.

Usually field data are limited. We measure it but like, we cannot be doing it during 30 years the wind prior to any further step....

So, usually the trick is fitting, and applying known statistical distributions to describe uncertain long term phenomena.

In easy words, you do your best with all the data that you have to find a graphical representation like a curve, or surface, that better goes trough all your data. This way, you can know more or less what is happening between those points without needing to detect every possible occurrence in 30 years.

Obviously the less data we have the harder is to have a good representation of the reality, and even harder when we are looking for rare events like extreme events that are in the small tails of the distributions. And if there is some joint dependence, even harder!  For approximating these tails, several techniques and distributions are used as, block maxima, peak over threshold or distributions like the Weibull, Gumbell, or other.

The challenge for the following months is then, diving into this "swamp" of already existing ideas of extreme statistics and come out with a needle from it (or the more mainstream "a needle in the haystack"... which looks easy if we think in a swamp)

Hard, hein? ...but, don´t worry I already have the life-jacket dressed and a rope tied to a tree so that I don't drown myself! I'm kinda of good swimmer too

Already a long post! Bigmouth strikes again..

Next time I'll come with a more light approach to the theme Offshore Wind Turbines. I don't want anyone to have an overdose of boredom while coming here...

.

So I´ll leave the second part that I was thinking on publishing today to the next weeks, the discussion will be one of the most hot topics of the engineering fashion world: Are Wind Turbines in the landscape cool or not? (I'm not a civil engineer, but I already  know that architects are saying nooo)