Ocean Engineering

Ocean engineering applies interdisciplinary principles to the design, construction and operation of systems that interact with the marine environment. It encompasses naval architecture for ship and submersible hull forms, marine structures ranging from offshore platforms to coastal defences, renewable-energy converters for wind, wave and current power, and sensing platforms for environmental monitoring. Advances in computational modelling, materials science and autonomous systems have enabled more efficient propulsion, greater structural resilience in extreme weather and enhanced capabilities for underwater survey and resource extraction. Coupled with an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and to adapt coastal infrastructure to sea-level rise, ocean engineering plays a critical role in sustainable maritime transport, green energy development and protection of marine ecosystems on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Global projections using the latest climate scenarios have assessed the future potential of offshore wind and wave energy through coupled atmosphere–ocean modelling. Under both high-emission and low-emission pathways, changes in wind fields are predicted to alter theoretical electricity yields by up to 10–15 % at many coastal sites, while wave energy trends remain generally stable. The work provides crucial baseline data for feasibility studies and informs long-term planning of marine renewables.

In oscillating-water-column devices, passive aerodynamic modification of turbines has been shown to broaden the operating range and improve power smoothing. By integrating casing grooves and stall fences on a Wells turbine runner, tip-leakage vortices are controlled and flow reattachment is promoted, yielding up to a one-third wider working band and a 25 % reduction in power fluctuations.

A novel floating platform incorporating six oscillating-water-column units has demonstrated effective damping of pitch and yaw motions in a multi-body offshore wind installation. Systematic variation of column geometry and arrangement revealed optimal configurations that reduce platform motions in targeted wave-frequency bands, thereby enhancing turbine stability and fatigue life. Experimental response-amplitude operators validate the concept as a promising approach for combined wind-and-wave energy systems.

Research from all publishers

A global techno-economic assessment has employed hourly wave data with device power matrices to estimate electricity yields and levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) at regional scale. Although current wave-energy costs exceed those of established renewables, learning-rate projections suggest parity with offshore wind by the mid-2030s in high-resource areas. Open-access capacity-factor datasets now enable rigorous integration of wave power into energy-system models.

A stochastic optimisation framework has been developed for retrofitting existing offshore wind farms with wave energy converters and floating photovoltaics. By synthesising copula-based scenarios of wave and price uncertainties in a mixed-integer linear programme, hybrid arrays can improve economic returns, reduce output variability and better utilise export cables. Case studies identify site-specific configurations that maximise revenue while adhering to grid constraints.

In a high-resolution hindcast of south-east Australian wave climates, a 40-year unstructured-grid model captured seasonal variability, trends and extremes. Energy assessments at fourteen coastal sites using nine converter types revealed a trade-off between mean yield and seasonal stability. The study highlights south-west coasts as the most energetic yet variable, whereas sheltered eastern sites offer steadier, but lower, output—guiding tailored device selection and deployment strategies.

Ocean Engineering publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ocean engineering across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Wave energy converter (WEC): A device that transforms wave motion into electricity, including point absorbers, attenuators and oscillating-water columns.

Oscillating-water column (OWC): A WEC type where wave-induced water surges compress and decompress an air chamber to drive a turbine.

Floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT): A wind turbine mounted on a buoyant platform, allowing deployment in deeper waters beyond fixed-foundation sites.

Levelised cost of electricity (LCOE): The average cost per unit of electricity generated over a system’s lifetime, encompassing capital, operating and maintenance expenses.

Passive flow control: Aerodynamic or hydrodynamic modifications—such as grooves or fences—on turbine blades to stabilise flow separation without active controls.

Stochastic optimisation: A mathematical framework that selects design or operational decisions under uncertainty by sampling input scenarios and minimising expected cost or risk.

References

1. CMIP6 projections for global offshore wind and wave energy production (2015–2100). Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Passive flow control via tip grooving and stall fencing mechanisms of a marine energy harvesting turbine. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Design and stability analysis of a new six-floater oscillating water column-based floating offshore wind turbine platform. Scientific Reports (2024).
4. Techno-economic assessment of global and regional wave energy resource potentials and profiles in hourly resolution. Applied Energy (2024).
5. Stochastic optimization framework for hybridization of existing offshore wind farms with wave energy and floating photovoltaic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production (2024).
6. A high-resolution wave energy assessment of south-east Australia based on a 40-year hindcast. Renewable Energy (2023).