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Experimental Studies of Turbulent Intensity around a Tidal Turbine Support Structure

Author

Listed:
  • Stuart Walker

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK)

  • Lorenzo Cappietti

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50139 Firenze, Italy)

Abstract

Tidal stream energy is a low-carbon energy source. Tidal stream turbines operate in a turbulent environment, and the effect of the structure between the turbine and seabed on this environment is not fully understood. An experimental study using 1:72 scale models based on a commercial turbine design was carried out to study the support structure influence on turbulent intensity around the turbine blades. The study was conducted using the wave-current tank at the Laboratory of Maritime Engineering (LABIMA), University of Florence. A realistic flow environment (ambient turbulent intensity = 11%) was established. Turbulent intensity was measured upstream and downstream of a turbine mounted on two different support structures (one resembling a commercial design, the other the same with an additional vertical element), in order to quantify any variation in turbulence and performance between the support structures. Turbine drive power was used to calculate power generation. Acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV) was used to record and calculate upstream and downstream turbulent intensity. In otherwise identical conditions, performance variation of only 4% was observed between two support structures. Turbulent intensity at 1, 3 and 5 blade diameters, both upstream and downstream, showed variation up to 21% between the two cases. The additional turbulent structures generated by the additional element of the second support structure appears to cause this effect, and the upstream propagation of turbulent intensity is believed to be permitted by surface waves. This result is significant for the prediction of turbine array performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Stuart Walker & Lorenzo Cappietti, 2017. "Experimental Studies of Turbulent Intensity around a Tidal Turbine Support Structure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:4:p:497-:d:95176
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Khaoula Ghefiri & Aitor J. Garrido & Eugen Rusu & Soufiene Bouallègue & Joseph Haggège & Izaskun Garrido, 2018. "Fuzzy Supervision Based-Pitch Angle Control of a Tidal Stream Generator for a Disturbed Tidal Input," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-21, November.
    2. Zhang, Yuquan & Zang, Wei & Zheng, Jinhai & Cappietti, Lorenzo & Zhang, Jisheng & Zheng, Yuan & Fernandez-Rodriguez, E., 2021. "The influence of waves propagating with the current on the wake of a tidal stream turbine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).

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