Balmoral HexDefence
Technical development

Preliminary work on Balmoral HexDefence was based on an existing VIV suppression product used widely by the oil and gas sector. Research considered a scaled variant to investigate scour evaluation on downstream flow and the effect of accelerated currents around the monopile. Final prototype testing was completed at a national hydrodynamic laboratory.

Videos show turbulent velocity (Pa/s) while the plots indicate significantly reduced turbulence locally and downstream of the protection system. This data was used as an indicative assessment of potential scour reduction.

The analysis of 'accelerated flow performance' demonstrates a significant 60% reduction in accelerated flow, which indicates a potential reduction in CPS loads.

The image of the plain cylinder (left), which is representative of a typical monopile, demonstrates how the flow concentrates around its base. This flow pattern contributes significantly to the scouring of the seabed downstream of a monopile, leading to predictable erosion of the surrounding seabed over time.

In contrast, Balmoral’s HexDefence disrupts this flow pattern by introducing a consistently powerful upward current that draws energy away from the seabed and significantly reduces the scouring effect. As a result, Balmoral’s HexDefence system provides a solution to mitigate the logistical and material commitments that are currently inherent in alternative scour protection methods.