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Experimental analysis of the flow field around horizontal axis tidal turbines by use of scale mesh disk rotor simulators

Experimental analysis of the flow field around horizontal axis tidal turbines by use of scale mesh disk rotor simulators
Experimental analysis of the flow field around horizontal axis tidal turbines by use of scale mesh disk rotor simulators
Understanding the flow field around horizontal axis marine current turbines is important if this new energy generation technology is to advance.
The aim of this work is to identify and provide an understanding of the principal parameters that govern the downstream wake structure and its recovery to the free-stream velocity profile.
This will allow large farms or arrays of devices to be installed whilst maximising device and array efficiency. Wake characteristics of small-scale mesh disk rotor simulators have been measured in a 21 m tilting flume at the University of Southampton.
The results indicate that wake velocities are reduced in the near wake region (close behind the rotor disk) for increasing levels of disk thrust. Further downstream all normalised wake velocity values converge, enforcing that, as for wind turbines, far wake recovery is a function of the ambient flow turbulence.
Varying the disk proximity to the water surface/bed introduces differential mass flow rates above and below the rotor disk that can cause the wake to persist much further downstream.
Finally, the introduction of increased sea bed roughness whilst increasing the depth-averaged ambient turbulence actually decreases downstream wake velocities.
Results presented demonstrate that there are a number of interdependent variables that affect the rate of wake recovery and will have a significant impact on the spacing of marine current turbines within an array.
marine current turbine, wake, flow field, ADV
0029-8018
218-227
Myers, L. E.
b0462700-3740-4f03-a336-dc5dd1969228
Bahaj, A. S.
a64074cc-2b6e-43df-adac-a8437e7f1b37
Myers, L. E.
b0462700-3740-4f03-a336-dc5dd1969228
Bahaj, A. S.
a64074cc-2b6e-43df-adac-a8437e7f1b37

Myers, L. E. and Bahaj, A. S. (2010) Experimental analysis of the flow field around horizontal axis tidal turbines by use of scale mesh disk rotor simulators. Ocean Engineering, 37 (2-3), 218-227. (doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2009.11.004).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Understanding the flow field around horizontal axis marine current turbines is important if this new energy generation technology is to advance.
The aim of this work is to identify and provide an understanding of the principal parameters that govern the downstream wake structure and its recovery to the free-stream velocity profile.
This will allow large farms or arrays of devices to be installed whilst maximising device and array efficiency. Wake characteristics of small-scale mesh disk rotor simulators have been measured in a 21 m tilting flume at the University of Southampton.
The results indicate that wake velocities are reduced in the near wake region (close behind the rotor disk) for increasing levels of disk thrust. Further downstream all normalised wake velocity values converge, enforcing that, as for wind turbines, far wake recovery is a function of the ambient flow turbulence.
Varying the disk proximity to the water surface/bed introduces differential mass flow rates above and below the rotor disk that can cause the wake to persist much further downstream.
Finally, the introduction of increased sea bed roughness whilst increasing the depth-averaged ambient turbulence actually decreases downstream wake velocities.
Results presented demonstrate that there are a number of interdependent variables that affect the rate of wake recovery and will have a significant impact on the spacing of marine current turbines within an array.

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More information

Published date: February 2010
Keywords: marine current turbine, wake, flow field, ADV
Organisations: Civil Engineering & the Environment

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 73821
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73821
ISSN: 0029-8018
PURE UUID: c26697c5-d8f8-4911-8733-9aa3f3400a9a
ORCID for L. E. Myers: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4724-899X
ORCID for A. S. Bahaj: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0043-6045

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:46

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