Australian research center looks for wave energy assistance

The newly established Wave Energy Research Centre (WERC) is looking for two research associates to join a team of over 20 researchers, based at the Albany office and at the University of Western Australia in Perth.

The positions open for applications are those of a Research Fellow in Hydrodynamics, and a Research Fellow in Geotechnics.

The role of Research Fellow in Hydrodynamics includes responsibilities such as conducting high quality research in hydrodynamic modelling of wave energy devices, developing advanced theoretical and computational models of for the devices, planning and interpreting model scale laboratory experiments and development of design tools or predictive models for estimating extreme loads.

Also, the Research Fellow will be responsible for supervision and assisting with training of research students.

As Research Fellow in Geotechnics working for WERC, the successful candidate will be tasked with conduct fundamental and experimental research in support of the Albany Wave Energy Project (AWEP) and the wave energy industry more broadly.

The position will focus on soils, mechanics and geotechnical engineering, according to the University of Western Australia.

The closing date to apply for either of the positions has been set for March 19, 2018.

WERC is a research center within the University of Western Australia (UWA) which is funded by the State Government.

The center will be located at UWA’s campus at Albany in southern Western Australia. It will include a number of full time research staff integrated within the UWA Albany campus, undertaking research activities in oceanography, geotechnical engineering and hydrodynamics and also working closely with a group of academic staff at UWA’s campus in Perth.

The main objective of WERC is to conduct research to advance the wave energy industry and to support and enable the development, deployment and operation of wave energy converters by Carnegie Clean Energy in Torbay, west of Albany, as part of AWEP.

The project will initially involve the deployment of a 1.5MW wave energy converter and will establish common user infrastructure to allow the wave energy industry to test their technologies.

Associated with the Ocean Graduate School, administered within the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Science at the University of Western Australia, it will also have strong connections with the multidisciplinary UWA Ocean Institute.