Experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamic Study of Water Flow and Submerged Depth Effects on a Tidal Turbine Performance

• Published in: Water (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 13; p. 2312
• Main Authors: Ghamati, Erfan, Kariman, Hamed, Hoseinzadeh, Siamak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Analysis; Climate change; computational fluid dynamic; Computational fluid dynamics; Computer applications; Electricity generation; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Finite volume method; Flow coefficients; Fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; Force and energy; Free surfaces; Greenhouse gases; Hunter turbine; Hydraulic measurements; Hydrodynamics; Hydrophobic surfaces; Investigations; K-omega turbulence model; Maximum power; Numerical analysis; Ocean currents; Ocean energy resources; Ratios; Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes method; Simulation; submerged depth effect; Tidal energy; tidal turbine; Turbine blades; Turbines; Turbulence models; vertical axis turbine; Vertical orientation; Water depth; Water flow
• ISSN: 2073-4441; 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w15132312

This study involves an experimental and numerical analysis of the Hunter turbine, a vertical axis turbine utilized for tidal energy. A laboratory model of the Hunter turbine, featuring an aspect ratio of 1.2, was designed and tested. Numerical equations, including the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) constant, were analyzed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software using the k-ω turbulence model to forecast turbine performance and other related flow specifications, such as pressure lines, stream velocity, and pressure. This simulation was conducted on the surface of the turbine blade, and the results were obtained accordingly. The experimental data were utilized to verify the numerical results, and the difference between the two was reasonably acceptable. The turbine was studied in six different flow coefficients and four different vertical positions. The results indicated that the power coefficient increased as the submerged depth from a water-free surface increased, and after a specific depth, the output power remained constant. It was also observed that the minimum depth from a water-free surface for maximum power coefficient was three times the diameter of the turbine drum (3D).