Professor Leonardo P. Chamorro has been appointed a U.S. subject matter expert to an international team developing guidance for turbulence measurement in marine energy. He joins Project Team PT 62600-50 within the International Electrotechnical Commission’s Technical Committee 114, which develops standards for wave, tidal, and other water-current energy converters.
The project team focuses on measuring and characterizing turbulence to support the design and performance assessment of marine energy converters. Turbulence intensity, spatial structure, and temporal variability influence energy capture and fluctuating hydrodynamic loads, with implications for structural fatigue and device reliability. Consistent characterization of these properties provides a physical basis for defining inflow conditions, interpreting performance measurements, and assessing device response under realistic operating conditions.
Consistent measurement practices also make it easier to compare results across sites and research groups. International standards and technical specifications provide a common basis for collecting and interpreting engineering data, supporting reproducible testing and informed design decisions. TC 114’s broader work addresses resource assessment, device performance, and design and safety requirements for marine energy systems.
Chamorro leads the Renewable Energy and Turbulent Environment Group, where his research examines turbulence and its interaction with energy systems and the environment. His expertise spans turbulence, advanced flow diagnostics, aerodynamics and hydrodynamics, particle dynamics, cavitation, and flow-structure interaction. His work connects fundamental fluid mechanics with engineering and environmental applications, addressing how complex flows influence energy conversion, transport processes, and structural response. This background supports the team’s effort to characterize turbulent inflows and their implications for marine energy performance and reliability.
His appointment brings MechSE expertise into an international standards-development process involving specialists from academia, industry, national laboratories, and government. U.S. participation is coordinated through the U.S. National Committee of the IEC, managed by the American National Standards Institute, and the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to TC 114.
Through this role, Chamorro will contribute to international guidance for consistent measurement and characterization of turbulence in marine energy environments. This work connects fundamental fluid mechanics with renewable energy engineering, supporting the use of measured inflow conditions to assess device performance, hydrodynamic loading, and reliability.