Floating Tidal Turbine Fences

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr RHJ Willden
Engineering Science
University of Oxford

Standard

EPSRC

06 October 2014

31 August 2015

11 months

£97,427

Energy

South East

Newton Programme

Dr RHJ Willden, Engineering Science, University of Oxford

Project Contact, Harbin Engineering University, China

Large scale power generation from tidal currents will require the deployment of large numbers of tidal turbines arrayed in close proximity to one another. This presents significant challenges; turbine-in-wake interactions, as well as significant opportunities; arraying turbines side-by-side in closely spaced fences can significantly enhance their performance. Extreme weather survivability and the ability to maintain offshore systems are key to delivering economic and durable tidal energy systems.A potential solution to these challenges is floating systems supporting multiple closely spaced turbines. Such systems will provide rapidly deployable, retrievable and maintainable multi-turbine systems that deliver high performance.This project will conduct a preliminary assessment and feasibility study of floating closely spaced tidal turbine arrays. Specifically the project will seek to optimize the hydrodynamic performance of multiple closely spaced turbines supported from a single platform and determine their load and response when subjected to combined wave and tidal flows. The project will also seek to determine the suitability and stability of mooring systems under such loads and the platform's static and dynamic response leading to definition of permissible operating regimes.

24/11/14