We’re delighted to welcome Sam Cressall to the Partrac team as our new Metocean and Wind Resource Specialist.
Sam officially joined Partrac as a full-time member of the team on 1 September, following three years working alongside us through his PhD with the University of Edinburgh and the IDCORE (Industrial Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Renewable Energy) programme.
During that time, Sam played an important role in the development of Partrac’s floating LiDAR capability, and with his PhD now complete, brings a combination of engineering expertise, offshore renewable energy knowledge, research experience and a strong understanding of the challenges of collecting high-quality measurements offshore.
From mechanical engineering to offshore renewables
Sam’s engineering journey began with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University. He later went on to complete a Master’s degree, working on nuclear detection programmes and developing 3D-printed prototypes for testing and development.
He then joined the University of Edinburgh for his PhD through IDCORE, a Centre for Doctoral Training focused on offshore renewable energy.
The first year of the programme provided a broad grounding across the offshore wind industry, covering subjects including economics, energy, social and environmental considerations, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.
For Sam, that wider perspective has proved particularly valuable. “It gave me a strong foundational understanding of how the offshore wind market operates – not just from an engineering perspective, but from the wider industry perspective too.”
His PhD project brought him to Partrac, where he became closely involved in the development of our V-LiDAR floating wind measurement system.
From first principles to commercial deployment
Working alongside the Partrac team, Sam developed an intricate understanding of V-LiDAR and the various subsystems that come together to make the technology work offshore.
His work has spanned floating LiDAR, offshore sensor design, metocean measurement, data handling and measurement quality, with a particular focus on the challenges of operating sophisticated measurement technology in a harsh and remote marine environment.
Salt water, moving platforms, limited connectivity and the practical realities of offshore deployment all create challenges that need to be understood at both a technical and operational level.
Sam’s work has helped Partrac address those challenges and continually improve the quality, resilience and robustness of our measurements. His contribution to the development of the V-LiDAR system has included data handling and visualisation, validation and certification activity, and engagement with industry standards and best-practice development, while also supporting engagement with international standards committees and an IEA working group.
Connecting Research, Industry and Innovation
For Sam, communicating technical ideas effectively is just as important as developing them.
“Scientific communication is a really important skill. You need to be able to take a technical idea and translate it for different stakeholders, so that it can fully understood and used to make informed decisions.”
That ability to bridge the gap between highly technical research and practical commercial decision-making is something he has already brought to Partrac. Sam acts as an interface between industry and academia, communicating technical learning to non-specialists and contribute to decisions around the development of the technology.
What’s next?
As a Metocean and Wind Resource Specialist, Sam’s priorities include continuing to support the development of V-LiDAR and V-Data, improving the quality and usability of measurement data, and contributing to the standards and testing that underpin confidence in floating LiDAR measurements.
He’ll also be focused on making the customer experience as straightforward as possible, from the way data is collected and quality assured, through to how customers access and use it.
And because Sam has been involved with V-LiDAR from its development stages through to commercial deployment, he brings a detailed understanding of not just the technology itself, but the practical challenges of using it offshore.
That includes spending time offshore and seeing first-hand how equipment is handled, deployed and recovered. For Partrac, that operational insight is important. Good technology needs to work not just in theory, but in the hands of the people using it.
Ease of use, health and safety, reducing the need for offshore intervention and making equipment accessible and modular are all part of the ongoing development process.
Continuing to push the boundaries
Sam’s time at Partrac so far has already demonstrated the value of combining research, engineering and real-world operational experience.
Now, as a permanent member of the Partrac team, he’ll be continuing to test, learn, challenge existing thinking and develop new solutions to the challenges of offshore measurement.
Welcome to the team, Sam!