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Experimental Assessment of Flow, Performance, and Loads for Tidal Turbines in a Closely-Spaced Array

Author

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  • Donald R. Noble

    (School of Engineering, Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK)

  • Samuel Draycott

    (Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK)

  • Anup Nambiar

    (School of Engineering, Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK)

  • Brian G. Sellar

    (School of Engineering, Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK)

  • Jeffrey Steynor

    (School of Engineering, Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK)

  • Aristides Kiprakis

    (School of Engineering, Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FB, UK)

Abstract

Tidal stream turbines are subject to complex flow conditions, particularly when installed in staggered array configurations where the downstream turbines are affected by the wake and/or bypass flow of upstream turbines. This work presents, for the first time, methods for and results from the physical testing of three 1/15 scale instrumented turbines configured in a closely-spaced staggered array, and demonstrates experimentally that increased power extraction can be achieved through reduced array separation. A comprehensive set of flow measurements was taken during several weeks testing in the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility, with different configurations of turbines installed in the tank in a current of 0.8 m/s, to understand the effect that the front turbines have on flow through the array and on the inflow to the centrally placed rearmost turbine. Loads on the turbine structure, rotor, and blade roots were measured along with the rotational speed of the rotor to assess concurrently in real-time the effects of flow and array geometry on structural loading and performance. Operating in this closely-spaced array was found to improve the power delivered by the rear turbine by 5.7–10.4% with a corresponding increase in the thrust loading on the rotor of 4.8–7.3% around the peak power operating point. The experimental methods developed and results arising from this work will also be useful for further scale-testing elsewhere, validating numerical models, and for understanding the performance and loading of full-scale tidal stream turbines in arrays.

Suggested Citation

  • Donald R. Noble & Samuel Draycott & Anup Nambiar & Brian G. Sellar & Jeffrey Steynor & Aristides Kiprakis, 2020. "Experimental Assessment of Flow, Performance, and Loads for Tidal Turbines in a Closely-Spaced Array," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:8:p:1977-:d:346549
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Malki, Rami & Masters, Ian & Williams, Alison J. & Nick Croft, T., 2014. "Planning tidal stream turbine array layouts using a coupled blade element momentum – computational fluid dynamics model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 46-54.
    2. Vennell, Ross & Funke, Simon W. & Draper, Scott & Stevens, Craig & Divett, Tim, 2015. "Designing large arrays of tidal turbines: A synthesis and review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 454-472.
    3. Draycott, S. & Nambiar, A. & Sellar, B. & Davey, T. & Venugopal, V., 2019. "Assessing extreme loads on a tidal turbine using focused wave groups in energetic currents," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 1013-1024.
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    5. Sutherland, Duncan & Ordonez-Sanchez, Stephanie & Belmont, Michael R. & Moon, Ian & Steynor, Jeffrey & Davey, Thomas & Bruce, Tom, 2018. "Experimental optimisation of power for large arrays of cross-flow tidal turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(PA), pages 685-696.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Badoe, Charles E. & Edmunds, Matt & Williams, Alison J. & Nambiar, Anup & Sellar, Brian & Kiprakis, Aristides & Masters, Ian, 2022. "Robust validation of a generalised actuator disk CFD model for tidal turbine analysis using the FloWave ocean energy research facility," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 232-250.
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    5. Chen, Yaling & Wang, Dayu & Wang, Dangwei, 2024. "The flow field within a staggered hydrokinetic turbine array," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    6. Marilou Jourdain de Thieulloy & Mairi Dorward & Chris Old & Roman Gabl & Thomas Davey & David M. Ingram & Brian G. Sellar, 2020. "Single-Beam Acoustic Doppler Profiler and Co-Located Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter Flow Velocity Data," Data, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-11, July.
    7. Arturo Ortega & Joseph Praful Tomy & Jonathan Shek & Stephane Paboeuf & David Ingram, 2020. "An Inter-Comparison of Dynamic, Fully Coupled, Electro-Mechanical, Models of Tidal Turbines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-19, October.
    8. Federico Attene & Francesco Balduzzi & Alessandro Bianchini & M. Sergio Campobasso, 2020. "Using Experimentally Validated Navier-Stokes CFD to Minimize Tidal Stream Turbine Power Losses Due to Wake/Turbine Interactions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-26, October.
    9. Roman Gabl & Samuel Draycott & Ajit C. Pillai & Thomas Davey, 2021. "Experimental Data of Bottom Pressure and Free Surface Elevation including Wave and Current Interactions," Data, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-13, September.

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