CASE STUDY

TECOSIM

A F4OR Success Story

TECOSIM began 25 years ago as an Engineering Services Company and it now employs more than 450 engineers with national offices in Norwich, Basildon and Warwick, and international bases in Germany, Romania, India, Japan, and the USA.

The company delivers innovative solutions, solving problems and challenges using scientific logic and numerical calculations in the virtual world – with no need to produce anything physical to develop or test, saving time and money. It can design a product from an idea or sketch and continuously improve the product during the development process, providing solutions for issues that arise at the design and development stage, prior to it becoming a problem that requires costly remedial action.

The technology is flexible and can be used for many different projects. One of the most exciting was the design and development of the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

The Fit 4 Offshore Renewables Journey

Having worked successfully in the automotive sector, TECOSIM explored how its technology would be of benefit to other industries. The 2019 Global Offshore Wind Conference saw a collaboration form between TECOSIM and ORE Catapult after both attended and TECOSIM was invited to our testing facility in Blyth to understand how its technology could benefit offshore wind development.

To become more competitive in the offshore renewables industry, TECOSIM took part in our Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F4OR) programme as part of a cohort of businesses in the East Anglia region. Support was provided across the programme’s two key strands – core business management systems, and key competences required for success in the offshore renewable energy industry.

The F4OR programme enabled TECOSIM to streamline its processes and work more efficiently, developing excellent management systems. As a result of the programme, the Engineering Team is working more closely together and has implemented an excellent communication strategy improving motivation and commitment among colleagues.

TECOSIM is now concentrating on specific areas where it feels it has strong technical and unique capabilities such as:

• CAE analysis – structural analysis and optimisation of components, pumps, blades, turbines and foundations
• NVH – Improve acoustics and vibrations on the seabed that might affect marine life
• CFD – measure wind loads on aerodynamic modelling of turbine technology and effects of waves
• Design optimisation as structures increase in size and capacity
• Testing and modelling sea fastenings and cable damage
• IoT sensors to create a digital twin and record events for data analysis

Business Success

Projects to date include:

• An Underwater Turbine – Lowestoft-based company, Max Nicholas Renewables, developed a Continuous-Thrust Turbine that uses moving water to generate power at over 10 times the efficiency of similar renewable sources. TECOSIM conducted real-world testing using CFD technology on the turbine which led to the project becoming patented and due for commercialisation in 2023.
• Supergen Project – TECOSIM are supporting Hull University on a project analysing blade erosion.

The Future

Support from the F4OR programme places TECOSIM on a strong competitive footing to win more work in the offshore renewable energy, gain further exposure and experience in the energy sector, and further develop their skills.

Managing Director Stuart Hawker said:

“TECOSIM is committed to the development of low carbon technologies and is already working on electric and autonomous vehicles. The Renewable Energy sector is a big part of our future strategy and being involved in the F4OR New Anglia programme means we are now ideally situated to support the sector. We are excited about the potential of CAE, the opportunities it will bring and look forward to seeing the benefits of cost and time savings experienced by automotive industry, passed on to offshore projects.”