Optimal design for the free-stream water wheel: A two-dimensional study

Olivier Cleynen, Sebastian Engel, Stefan Hoerner and Dominique Thévenin

Energy, 2021, vol. 214, issue C

Abstract: Free-stream water wheels running on floating river installations may contribute to hydropower production as part of a decentralized network meeting the highest ecological standards. While such devices are certainly not novel, their dynamics are complex and a need exists for an optimization of their power-producing characteristics. In this work, a parametrized two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation is coupled to a genetic optimizer seeking to maximize the generated shaft power within a large domain of design parameters. Two objectives are pursued simultaneously: maximize the hydraulic efficiency, and maximize the power density of the device. After nearly 2000 individuals are evaluated, a Pareto front is identified; a family of designs is created to cover the trade-off between the two objectives. The results indicate that compared to operators constrained by the flow-exposed area, operators constrained by the rotor size would trade a 40% reduction in hydraulic performance in order to gain a 50% increase in power per unit rotor area. This optimization of the free-stream water wheel, the first in published literature to our knowledge, allows for the quantification of this trade-off and the publication of broadly-applicable design guidelines for the corresponding optimal blade geometry, number of blades, radius, and depth.

Keywords: Free stream; Water wheel; Optimization; Computational fluid dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:214:y:2021:i:c:s0360544220319873

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118880

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