The aim of the study was to obtain the hydrodynamic loads or forces that oppose the movement of the body, which in this case correspond to a metal net panel and two cage models made of the same net.
With a research focused on contributing knowledge for the aquaculture sector and strengthening the development of numerical simulation tools, engineer Vicente Barrientos obtained the Master's degree in Naval and Ocean Engineering from the Austral University of Chile.
Its thesis had as its main objective to obtain experimental data on the hydrodynamic loads or forces that oppose the movement of a metal net panel and two cage models made with the same material. These tests allowed to characterize the behavior of these structures when submerged and subjected to water current.
"The main objective of the thesis was to obtain the loads or hydrodynamic forces that oppose the movement of the body, which in this case correspond to a metal net panel and two cage models made of the same net. With this we obtain the experimental data that defines the behavior of the submerged body subjected to the water current," he explained.
The work also aims to contribute to the validation of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, a tool that allows simulating the behavior of these systems. According to Barrientos, the information obtained in the laboratory is key to calibrating the computational model and ensuring that the simulations represent the real behavior as accurately as possible.
"Finally, the idea is to validate a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software that allows us to get as close as possible to real behaviour through numerical simulation. This is how the results obtained in the laboratory gain strength, since the software is calibrated to obtain these results with that experimental data, aiming for the smallest possible error. Moreover, I believe the program itself has a future for new thesis work," he said.
Regarding the motivation to develop this research, the new graduate indicated that his interest arose from his affinity with the aquaculture sector and the opportunity to generate knowledge in an area where there is still little experimental information.
"Mainly because of my affinity for the aquaculture sector and the idea of leaving knowledge in an area where there have been no experiments like those of this work for the networks of the mentioned material, since the main material for salmon farming nets is nylon and most of the information relates to this material," he said.
About his experience studying the Master's in Naval and Ocean Engineering, Barrientos highlighted the support received both personally and academically. It should be noted that Vicente is a naval engineer and completed the master's program through the Linkage Program between undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Currently, Vicente Barrientos works professionally at the company INVERMAR, where he continues to gain experience in the area, while living in Chiloé. Regarding his projections, he expressed his interest in continuing to develop professionally and keeping open the possibility of resuming academic life.
The examining commission was composed of academics from the Naval and Maritime Sciences Institute of UACh. As a sponsor, Dr. Cristian Cifuentes and as informants the academics Dr. Gonzalo Tampier and Dr. José Miguel Ahumada. Dr. Cristóbal Navarro acted as Minister of Faith, director of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences.
