About the project
Tidal Turbines (underwater wind turbines) are able to operate close together and this can increase power capture. To get it to work well we need to understand many different aspects of device design and operating environment. Building on existing work you will experimentally and numerically investigate ways to boost performance.
The freestream tidal energy industry is still in its infancy with some full-scale commercial demonstrator devices in operation. Costs are still high relative to comparable forms of power generation, but it is thought that there are further advantages of tidal energy in that the flow can be constrained locally around the seabed, water surface and other devices to increase power output.
This PhD will aim to expand understanding of the “blockage” effect which occurs when solid or semi-solid boundaries are placed near a tidal turbine. This results in an increase in fluid flow through a turbine rotor and can result in increased thrust and power when compared to operation in an unbounded flow.
Existing analytical blockage models use several assumptions which do not translate well to application for freestream tidal energy. Varying parameter such as inter-device spacing, Froude number, velocity profile and proximity to surface and seabed will enhance knowledge and understanding of this phenomenon.
This is an analytical and experimental-based project and will use various facilities on the Boldrewood campus. Smaller-scale works will be conducted in the recirculating flume and water channel using porous static turbine simulators whilst larger-scale mechanical turbines operating near each other will be tested in the towing tank.
