UK: DNV Engineer Awarded for Thesis on Offshore Renewable Energy

A senior engineer with DNV has received a prestigious award for his thesis on offshore renewable energy.

Philimon Gonidakis was named the recipient of Cranfield University’s Professor John Sharp Prize at a graduation ceremony on June 6. Philimon has just completed an MSc in Offshore and Ocean Technology at the university which was jointly funded by DNV Piraeus and the DNV Education Fund.

The thesis used Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate marine turbine performance. It was funded by DNV London and supervised by Sharad Gupta from the company’s Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) risk department.

The thesis entitled ‘CFD modelling and simulation of an experimentally investigated horizontal axis marine current turbine and study of the free surface proximity impact on its performance and wake formation’ shows the impact of boundaries in the efficiency of a turbine which can be either positive or negative.

Philimon, who moved from Greece to work in DNV’s London office, said it was a surprise to hear he had won the prize.

“I chose this subject because it is currently a hot topic in the industry and my training had also provided me with a very good knowledge and practice on this CFD code.

“As opposed to wind turbines, tidal turbines are normally installed in narrow and shallow straits where the flow interacts with the boundaries and the flow regime that the turbine ‘sees’ alters significantly.

“I wasn’t expecting to win but I’m very happy, especially for the team at DNV. I am very grateful for all the trust and support the company has given me, both in London and Piraeus. A lot of hard work went into this thesis and it is nice to be acknowledged.”

Philimon previously worked as a naval architect and senior surveyor in Athens before moving to the UK to pursue a career in the offshore industry.

He said: “I’d been working with ships for many years but I have always wanted to work in the offshore sector. The UK is the most attractive place in Europe if you want to work in energy, and I knew this was the place to progress my career.”

Hari Vamadevan, DNV’s UK regional manager, said: “We are delighted that Philimon has won The Professor John Sharp Prize for Best Thesis in Offshore Renewable Energy and Offshore. It is a great achievement and he should be very proud.

“It is vitally important to attract and retain talent in the industry to ensure the energy and maritime sectors continue to thrive. I hope this award will encourage other students, at any stage in their education, that hard work and innovative thinking is recognised and can play its part in the future of the industry.”

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Press release, June 06, 2013