A Comparison of Numerical Modelling Techniques for Tidal Stream Turbine Analysis

Ian Masters, Alison Williams, T. Nick Croft, Michael Togneri, Matt Edmunds, Enayatollah Zangiabadi, Iain Fairley and Harshinie Karunarathna
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Ian Masters: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Alison Williams: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
T. Nick Croft: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Michael Togneri: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Matt Edmunds: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Enayatollah Zangiabadi: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Iain Fairley: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
Harshinie Karunarathna: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: To fully understand the performance of tidal stream turbines for the development of ocean renewable energy, a range of computational models is required. We review and compare results from several models of horizontal axis turbines at different spatial scales. Models under review include blade element momentum theory (BEMT), blade element actuator disk, Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) CFD (BEM-CFD), blade-resolved moving reference frame and coastal models based on the shallow water equations. To evaluate the BEMT, a comparison is made to experiments with three different rotors. We demonstrate that, apart from the near-field wake, there are similarities in the results between the BEM-CFD approach and a coastal area model using a simplified turbine fence at a headland case.

Keywords: tidal stream turbines; CFD; BEMT; BEM-CFD; coastal/shelf scale; comparison; validation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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