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
218-227
Myers, L. E.
b0462700-3740-4f03-a336-dc5dd1969228
Bahaj, A. S.
a64074cc-2b6e-43df-adac-a8437e7f1b37
February 2010
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), .
(doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2009.11.004).
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.
This record has no associated files available for download.
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
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:46
Export record
Altmetrics
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
