JIP and R&D

Joint Industry Projects (JIP) and Research and Development (R&D)

Joint Industry Projects (JIP) offer a route to carry out expensive research and development but spread the costs over a number of interested parties.

News: TTI completed Carbon Trust grant and awarded new grant

TTI was pleased to work with the Carbon Trust and together with other industrial partners: OPT, Promoor, Ecosea and Bridon supporting the UK economy. The project recently completed will lead to lighter and more efficient mooring systems specifically (but not exclusively) for tidal and wave energy devices. Research and testing of low cost, longer life mooring systems, flexible bag anchors and bio-fouling prevention systems on new substrates for wave and tidal applications was succesfully completed with all objectives met.

These improvements will both push down the cost of marine energy and directly reduce CO2 emissions by allowing the use of smaller vessels for mooring installation.

The new grant will continue testing Durability and mechanical property data on nylon ropes for wave energy moorings and continuing the work on bag anchors. The new team comprises AWS Ocean Energy, Airtricity, Promoor, Bridon, Exeter University and Tencate.

TTI has developed an excellent reputation in initiating and managing JIP’s. This is a task that requires intimate knowledge of the industry so that competing requirements within the members of the JIP can be reconciled. It is important to do this in a way that each party is able to meet its individual goals.

TTI can manage the entire JIP or work with others, such as Noble Denton, the National Engineering Laboratory and DNV. Technically, TTI generally takes the lead role.

TTI was instrumental in starting Tethers 2000, the first major study to examine the effect of fibre, termination and construction on the tension-tension fatigue performance of ropes. This work lead on to the Engineers Design Guide, a basic standard for mooring lines and the Norsk Hydro JIP testing deepwater mooring ropes.

TTI is managing a DTI sponsored study of Yarn Modulus vs Loading with University of Leeds and Marlow Ropes.

TTI carries out Research and Development for special needs; from developing micro tension elements for medical applications to 3000 tonne break strength ropes for mooring lines. Whatever the requirement, TTI brings a wealth of experience and engineering expertise, including rope design, naval architecture, mooring analysis, mechanical and electrical engineering, and textile engineering. TTI develops software and undertakes advanced mathematical modelling.

The list below is some of the studies TTI either has been instrumental in setting up or been contracted to provide specialist services for testing and technical knowledge in synthetic fibres and ropes.