Flow control to mitigate fatigue load through the use of flexible tidal turbine blades

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Ocean Energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr I Viola
Marine Science and Technology
Newcastle University

Standard

EPSRC

01 October 2014

30 June 2015

9 months

£96,049

Energy

North East

Newton Programme

Dr I Viola, Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University

Project Contact, Ocean University of China
Project Contact, Dalian University of Technology, China

The project is a feasibility study on the use of flexible blades to increase the durability and survivability of tidal turbines. The highly turbulent flow experienced by tidal turbines leads to continuous load variations limiting the fatigue endurance. It is proposed to use flexible blades in order to control the flow field around the blades and allow constant stresses on the turbine's blades and shaft. Under the effect of a variation of the onset flow velocity at a certain location along the blade span, the flexible blade will change the local angle of attack and the foil shape. The new flow field around the blade section will be as such to minimise the load change on the blade section. The reduced, if not completely avoided, load variations will enhance the fatigue endurance of the blade and the shaft

24/11/14