Eamon Mckeogh

University College Cork | UCC · Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dedicated offshore wind farms for hydrogen production are a promising option to unlock the full potential of offshore wind energy, attain decarbonisation and energy security targets in electricity and other sectors, and cope with grid expansion constraints. Current knowledge on these systems is limited, particularly the economic aspects. Therefore,...

A proof-of-concept study is presented of a Power-to-Gas system that is located fully offshore. This paper analyses how such a system would perform if based at the depleted Kinsale Gas Field in the Celtic Sea Basin off the south coast of Ireland. An offshore wind farm is proposed as the power source for the system. Several conversion technologies ar...

On smaller streams position and the extent of the scour zones in the bridge profile formed in the post-flood streambed can vary significantly after each flood event. Scour development under high flow conditions can be challenging to estimate in streambeds consisting of sand/gravel mixture where grains of different sizes are entrained by different f...

The global Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) industry is rapidly growing as the offshore wind resource has huge potential and is advantageous in many countries with the technology solutions becoming more cost-competitive. OWE simultaneously helps the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, an increase in energy security and diversity, creates jobs, and pro...

Hydrogen generated from electricity excess and water is chosen in this research as it can be stored in highest energy density over long periods [3], re-transformed to electricity, or mixed into the natural gas grid or converted to synthetic methane or sold as fuel for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to the transport sector (a large carbon emitt...

Offshore wind energy possesses a number of properties enabling significant cost reduction such as higher wind speed and full-load hours per year and longer lifetimes. The total potential amount of offshore wind development in Ireland is 34.8 GW – 39 GW without likely significant adverse effects on the environment. The reliance on natural gas for ar...

This study presents results from turbulent flow measurements conducted in a laboratory flume with a physical model of an arched bridge over a gravel bed stream. The aim of this research is to investigate flow conditions at the bridge abutment that initiated scour development in non-uniform gravel bed river.

The deployment of wind energy is constrained by wind intermittency that lessens the value of wind-generated electricity to a significant extent [1]. As wind is an intermittent source of energy and power generation during periods of low electricity demand can be expected. This leads to curtailment of wind, which is detrimental to both the wind genera...

Offshore wind energy possesses a number of properties enabling significant cost reduction such as higher wind speed and full-load hours per year and longer lifetimes. The total potential amount of offshore wind development in Ireland is 34.8 GW – 39 GW without likely significant adverse effects on the environment [1]. The reliance on natural gas fo...

Change of riverbed morphology under stresses imposed by flow on erodible boundaries can scour piers and abutments positioned in the riverbed, thus exposing their foundations to flow and rendering them susceptible to destabilisation. Therefore, scour is considered to be one of the most important hazards regarding bridge safety with catastrophic cons...

Infrastructure development is a long term process, which cannot easily adapt to sudden change; and infrastructure assets can have long lifetimes. Poor investment choices risk locking in poor policy choices for substantial periods of time. The ‘need’ for a new infrastructure asset arises due to demographic, economic or policy changes. But historical...

Different studies (e.g. Yao et al., 2015; Maddison, 2012; FEHA, 2012; Wardhana and Hadipriono, 2003) indicate that from all natural hazards, scour is the most common cause of the bridge failures worldwide. The EU/FP7 funded project Bridge SMS combines hydraulic, hydrologic, geotechnical and structural expertise and incorporates them into a complete...

For critical transportation networks, efficient management has become an imperative component to provide optimal and continuous services. This is particularly true for bridge stock which form critical elements as part of rail and road networks and which are experiencing increased vulnerability due to a range of issues, such as aging infrastructure...

Presence of scour at abutments significantly influences flow pattern in their vicinity, increasing turbulence and inducing vortexes in the flow field. Size of scour hole depends on flow parameters and is proportional to flow augmentation. Scour hole equilibrium depth is achieved under long-term exchange of high and low flows, but greatest scour hol...

Transportation assets represent a critical component of society's infrastructure systems. Flood-related hazards are considered one of the main climate change impacts on highway and railway infrastructure, threatening the security and functionality of transportation systems. Of such hazards, flood-induced scour is a primarily cause of bridge collaps...

With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, extreme weather events are now occurring with greater frequency throughout the world. Such extreme events have resulted in increased high intensity flood events which are having devastating consequences on hydro-structures, especially on bridge infrastructure. The remote and often inaccessi...

Recent advances in computational speed, cloud systems and GPRS data are some of the factors that have resulted in an increased number of operational and fully automatized Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS). Flood forecasting is becoming a well-recognised solution for flood management as an indirect measure for minimising the risk should preventive...

Safety of bridges over watercourses can be compromised by flow characteristics and bridge hydraulics. Scour process around bridge foundations can develop rapidly during low-recurrence interval floods when structural elements are exposed to increased flows. Variations in riverbed geometry, as a result of sediment removal and deposition processes, ca...

Flood induced scour is the leading cause of bridge failures worldwide and one of the main climate change impacts on highway and railway infrastructure assets. Scour process is considered one of the most complex and challenging water flow and erosion phenomena, leading to drastic reduction in the safe capacity and stability of structures over waterw...

An intelligent system for bridge inspection and management requires a knowledge and appreciation of structural engineering, geotechnics, hydraulics, hydrology, materials and transport management. This study introduces BRIDGE SMS, an EU/FP7 project, which couples state-of-the art scientific knowledge in hydrology, river and structural engineering wi...

Transportation assets represent a critical component of society's infrastructure systems. Flood-related hazards are considered one of the main climate change impacts on highway and railway infrastructure, threatening the functionality of transportation systems. Of such hazards, flood-induced scour is a primarily cause of bridge collapses worldwide...

Ireland has gone through a radical transformation from the Celtic Tiger years to the IMF–EU bail-out of 2010. This paper presents evidence of the priority infrastructural gaps that will inhibit economic growth, based on interviews with a broad spectrum of key stake holders. The paper explores the factors for industry locating within a region and hi...

Ireland has gone through a radical transformation from the Celtic Tiger years to the IMF–EU bail-out of 2010. This paper presents evidence of the priority infrastructural gaps that will inhibit economic growth, based on interviews with a broad spectrum of key stake holders. The paper explores the factors for industry locating within a region and hi...

Ireland was the envy of Europe and indeed the world with its apparent economic success, during what was termed the 'Celtic tiger' years. Nevertheless, it is now evident that despite the considerable monies invested in physical infrastructure, Ireland still ranks poorly in its state of infrastructure internationally. This paper identifies that gover...

This paper models large pumped hydro energy storage in a future power system where variable generation, primarily in the form of wind generation, is the dominant source of power generation. The research question posed is how to formulate day-ahead and week-ahead reservoir targets for pumped hydro energy storage in the context of wind forecast uncer...

As the penetration of wind generation increases on power systems throughout the world, the effects of wind variability on power systems are of increasing concern. This study focuses on sustained occurrences of low wind speeds over durations ranging from 1 h to 20 days. Such events have major implications for the variability of energy yields from wi...

The substantial increase in power generation from variable renewable sources has led to renewed interest in energy storage. Pumped hydropower remains the only mature and widely-adopted utility-scale energy storage technology. However, the selection and development of new pumped hydropower sites is heavily influenced by physical constraints such as...

Wind power generation differs from conventional thermal generation due to the stochastic nature of wind. Thus wind power forecasting plays a key role in dealing with the challenges of balancing supply and demand in any electricity system, given the uncertainty associated with the wind farm power output. Accurate wind power forecasting reduces the n...

The paper describes part of a Wind Energy Forecasting, Hydrogen Storage and Fuel Cell Application project currently under way, funded by the HEA Program Research in Third level Institutions 2000-2003. The need for an automatic on-line scheme for operational purposes in the daily planning and dispatch of electricity was first identified by the Irish...

Detailed knowledge of the wind resource is necessary in the developmental and operational stages of a wind farm site. As wind turbines continue to grow in size, masts for mounting cup anemometers-the accepted standard for resource assessment-have necessarily become much taller, and much more expensive. This limitation has driven the commercializati...

Electricity systems models are software tools used to manage electricity demand and the electricity systems, to trade electricity and for generation expansion planning purposes. Various portfolios and scenarios are modelled in order to compare the effects of decision making in policy and on business development plans in electricity systems so as to...

Electric vehicles (EV) do not emit tailpipe exhaust fumes in the same manner as internal combustion engine vehicles. Optimal benefits can only be achieved, if EVS are deployed effectively, so that the tailpipe emissions are not substituted by additional emissions in the electricity sector. This paper examines the potential contributions that Plug i...

Wind power forecasts for 21 representative wind farms provided in real-time to the Transmission System Operator in Ireland have for the first time been verified against actual wind generation data. Forecast data were generated using an ensemble prediction system. For forecast lengths up to 23 hours, the mean absolute error for individual wind farms...

Globally on-shore wind power has seen considerable growth in all grid systems. In the coming decade off-shore wind power is also expected to expand rapidly. Wind power is variable and intermittent over various time scales because it is weather dependent. Therefore wind power integration into traditional grids needs additional power system and elect...

Waterways that flow under bridge crossings are subject to changes in channel geometry on a regular basis. The scale of the changes can sometimes overwhelm estimated changes in the design process. The most usual concerns in relation to bridge design are; bearing capacity and the durability of the bridge construction and foundations, the optimum rout...

There has been a renewed commercial and technical interest in pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) recently with the advent of increased variable renewable energy generation and the development of liberalized electricity markets. During the next 8 years over 7 GW of PHES capacity will be added to the European network while projects are also planned i...

Under EU Directive 2009/28/EC on Renewable Energy each Member State is mandated to ensure that 10% of transport energy (excluding aviation and marine transport) comes from renewable sources by 2020. The Irish Government intends to achieve this target with a number of policies including an increase in the use of biofuels in transport by 3% by 2010 a...

The ability to quantify forecast uncertainty is critical to safe, efficient and economical operation of the power system, given the rapidly increasing wind penetration into the relatively small synchronous Irish system (over 1.5 GW of wind in an all-island system with a peak demand of less than only 7 GW). An ensemble prediction system has been emp...

Renewable energy is generally accepted as an important component of future electricity grids. In late 2008, the Government of the Republic of Ireland set a target of 10% of all vehicles in its transport fleet be powered by electricity by 2020. This paper examines the potential contributions Electric Vehicles (EVs) can make to facilitate increased e...

In a small electricity grid such as the all Ireland system of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, managing with the variability of high levels of wind power generation will be crucial to ensuring the economic success of wind energy generation and the overall stability of the electricity system. Storage and interconnection are frequently p...

This paper describes a technical and economic analysis of the potential ethanol production from wheat, barley and sugar beet in Ireland for three different combinations of the crops. Scenarios are investigated which include for three crop rotations: (1) wheat, barley and sugar beet; (2) wheat, wheat and sugar beet; and (3) wheat only.Ethanol produc...

This examines the interaction between technical challenges and policy choices that are made regarding wind power, and uses the grid connection moratorium in Ireland as a case study. While total installed wind capacity in Ireland is low compared with Germany, Spain and Denmark, wind power penetration is higher in the Irish system than in either the...

The realisation of two key energy policy goals pose significant challenges for power systems operation and control, namely electricity market liberalisation and increased penetration of renewable energy. This paper uses a case study analysis to explore solutions to these new challenges. The focus is on simulating real-time load management to maximi...

Three wastes are examined: agricultural slurry, municipal solid waste (MSW) and sludge (wastewater bio-solids). The recommended utilisation of biogas generated from the digestion of agricultural slurry and of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is as a transport fuel. Due to parasitic demands only 50% of biogas is available for ex...

The current conventional approach to determining the primary energy associated with non-combustible renewable energy (RE) sources such as wind energy and hydro power is to equate the electricity generated from these sources with the primary energy supply. This paper compares this with an approach that was formerly used by the IEA, in which the prim...

A case study with respect to the current trends in hydrogen technology and market developments is presented in this paper. The main goal is to design an autonomous, environmentally sustainable and zero emission power system using commercially available equipment. In order to achieve the optimum cost effective solution, its limitations are defined b...

Accurate wind generation forecasting is an important requirement to enable higher levels of wind generation on the weakly-interconnected Irish power system. Higher wind penetration is necessary for security of energy supply reasons, as well as to contribute towards Kyoto targets. A Multi-Scheme Ensemble Prediction System (MS-EPS), the first short-r...

A multi-scheme ensemble prediction system for Ireland, which allows forecasting of wind generation and provides a quantification of the forecast uncertainty by using a physically realistic ensemble spread, is described. Such a forecasting ability is critical to safe, efficient and economical operation of the power system, given the rapidly increasi...

Recent oil and gas price rises coupled with Russia - Ukraine gas supply interruptions have again focussed attention on security of energy supply. Security of energy supply is not always a well-defined or understood term. It is a multi-faceted phenomenon and may be classified in terms of physical (quantity) risks and price (economic) risks. It may a...

A Multi-Scheme Ensemble Prediction System (MSEPS) for short-range forecasting of wind power has been applied and tested at various sites and areas. The MS-EPS is the first short-range ensemble prediction system that has been used for wind power forecasting. The ensemble technique is ideal for tackling the problems associated with wind power predict...

The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) instructed both the TSO and DSO in the Republic of Ireland not to offer any additional grid connection agreements during 2004 due to concerns relating to the security of supply implications of significant wind power penetration. This was prompted by a significant increase in numbers of applications for gri...

A method of estimating the annual wind energy potential of a selected site using short term measurements related to one year’s recorded wind data at another reference site is presented. The proposed method utilizes the 1-year measured wind speed of one site to extrapolate the annual wind speed at a new site, using an artificial neural network (ANN)...

Four technologies are investigated which produce energy from municipal solid waste (MSW): incineration, gasification, generation of biogas and utilisation in a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, generation of biogas and conversion to transport fuel.Typically the residual component of MSW (non-recyclable, non-organic) is incinerated producing elec...

The deployment of wind energy is constrained by wind uncontrollability, which poses operational problems on the electricity supply system at high penetration levels, lessening the value of wind-generated electricity to a significant extent. This paper studies the viability of hydrogen production via electrolysis using wind power that cannot be easi...

Biogas may be utilised for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) production or for transport fuel production (CH4-enriched biogas). When used to produce transport fuel either electricity is imported to power the plant or some of the biogas is used in a small CHP unit to meet electricity demand on site. The potential revenue from CH4-enriched biogas when re...

In this paper we will explore why the use of a limited area multi model ensemble forecasting system can improve the forecasting quality of realtime and climate simulations significantly relative to the best single ensemble member. We will introduce a NWP model, which is build around a kernel. This allows us to implement any number of physics scheme...

This paper is derived from an examination of the conflicts that exist between two of the key drivers of energy policies worldwide. These are increasing cost competitiveness on the one hand and environmental responsibility on the other (security of supply being the third pillar). The former has to lead to electricity market liberalisation, with the...

With up to 100 tonnes/day of municipal sewage sludge, the municipality of Cork County Council had a problem of disposal. Spreading on agricultural land was the most common method of disposal until the 1986 EC Directive 86/278/EEC imposed severe restrictions on such a method. For industry in the county, the method of disposal was sometimes landfilli...

This paper describes a finite element technique using the method of weighted residuals for the solution of mass oscillations in surge tanks. Three weighting functions, uniform, linear and Galerkin, are applied and the results are compared with those from alternative techniques. The relatively simple case of surge analysis with flow rate change in t...

A laser Doppler anemometry system was used in a laboratory study of the mixing process at the interface between a river's deep section and its floodplain. The laser system was used in a differential Doppler mode with forward scatter to measure velocity and turbulence distributions within the channel compound, of varying geometry and depths of flow....

When air is discharged into water through a submerged orifice a turbulent flow is induced by the rising bubbles. This paper describes the use of a two component laser Doppler anemometer to measure two dimensional vector velocity components within a bubble induced flow. The LDA system was also used to measure turbulence levels. Experiments were carr...

In Section 1 of the paper the authors investigate the factors governing the rate of air entrainment by plunging jets by varying the jet velocity, jet dIn Section 2 the nature and extent of the biphasic diffusion region is investigated for both rough and smooth jets. These two types of jet produce very

to the realization that hydro schemes involving large dams can no longer be regarded as renewable resources. Efficient sediment removal systems must be used to alleviate the problem. Two such systems in operation in India and Nepal are described in this article. Surveys of the phenomenon of sedimentation in reservoirs have led

The rate of air entrainment by circular jets plunging through the atmosphere is investigated at various heights. The rate of entrainment is shown to be primarily dependent on the jet velocity, geometry and turbulence intensity of the jet. The relative turbulence intensity is shown to have a major effect on the rate of air entrainment, the break-up...

This paper presents results of a continuing study of modelling of air/water mixture flow. Detailed measurements of air concentration of a circular jet impinging on a stilling pool were carried out. The effect of different forces on the entrainment process was investigated, in particular the effect of surface ension, viscous forces, and turbulence l...

The HIRPOM model (HIRlam POwer prediction Model) coupled with the wave model WAM (Wave Model) has been developed directly inside the HIRLAM model for real-time on-and offshore prediction of wind power. HIRPOM operates in HIRLAM's 3 dimensional space every time step and accumulates wind power in intervals of a few minutes and includes density change...

Ireland's onshore wind resource is among the best in Europe, particularly along the western seaboard. The first wind farm was commissioned in 1992 with an installed capacity of 6.45 MW. Deployment was slow during the 1990s but has accelerated since 2000. By April 2005, there were 47 wind farms operational in Ireland, with a combined installed capac...

The development of wind energy is constrained by its intermittent nature, which poses operational problems for the electric system at high wind penetration levels, lessening its economic value to a significant extent. In Ireland, the enormous wind resource is further constrained by a weak grid and limited interconnections with neighbouring systems....

Two processes are currently taking place in Ireland in parallel, namely the liberalization of electricity market and the development of renewable energy policy. The Irish electricity market is currently 56% open, with full market opening planned for February 2005. An interim bilateral trading market is due to be replaced with a mandatory centralize...

There are currently 233 MW of wind power installed in Ireland, a further 601 MW of wind generation capacity with grid connection agreements and 2,059 MW of wind capacity within the grid connection application process. In December 2003 the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) instructed both the TSO and DSO not to offer any additional grid connect...

The quality of deterministic weather forecasts varies significantly from day to day. The most significant errors on a daily basis are often a factor 2 or 3 stronger than the monthly averaged error. In regional climate simulations it also has been shown that differences between the control and sensitivity simulation is not only due to the initial co...

The growth of renewable power sources, distributed generation and the potential for alternative fuelled modes of transport such as electric vehicles has led to concerns over the ability of existing grid systems to facilitate such diverse portfolio mixes in already congested power systems. Internationally the growth in renewable energy sources is dr...

The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 introduced partial liberalization of the electricity market in Ireland, with a view to full liberalisation by 2005. The restructuring of the market allows eligible customers (those with an annual consumption of more than 1GWh, and all green electricity customers) to purchase electricity from a supplier of their c...

Short Abstract The aim of this work has been to identify the environmental performance of existing compressed air energy storage (CAES) and pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) facilities. The method used has been a modified environmental impact assessment (EIA) approach where the pre-existing environment has played a major role in determining the lo...

Reports flume experiments on channels/flood plains with the following configurations, (1) straight channels, (2) single meander channels, sinuosity 1.25, straight reaches upstream and downstream, (3) multiple meander channels, sinuosity 1.25, with nine 90 degree bends. Laser velocimeter results for velocity vector distribution/direction and transve...

Detailed velocity and turbulence measurements were taken for different depth ratios in a straight compound channel using a laser velocimeter. The lateral depth averaged velocity profiles of the main channel and floodplain were separately described by equations. These equations were used to calculate the lateral eddy viscosities. Profiles and contou...

A laser Doppler anemometer was used to investigate the three dimensional flow pattern in a containing vessel for liquid with extraneous particulate matter. Liquid is supplied through a submerged nozzle at one end of the vessel and drawn off at the other end, the purpose of the vessel being to allow sufficient time for the buoyant particles to float...

Discusses the results of model tests undertaken to study subcritical flow in a throttled side weir. (E.B.D.)

Studies the mechanism of air entrainment in closed conduits and discusses scale effects in Froudian models. Previous relationships for air entrainment are outlined. Describes experiments to investigate the aeration characteristics of closed conduit sloping at various angles. Measures the total rate of air entrainment, net rate of air transport down...