Turbulence and its effects

on a tidal stream turbine

Tom Blackmore, Luke S Myers, AbuBakr S Bahaj

16 June 2015

www.energy.soton.ac.uk
 Introduction
• Tidal flows are highly dynamic.
– Waves, velocity shear, turbulence

• Small scale device testing typically performed in laboratory conditions with

low turbulence.

• Requirement to understand how a turbine performs in a highly dynamic flows.

– Turbine power output, thrust loadings, blade loadings.

• Requirement to understand the effects on the wake recovery behind a turbine

in these dynamic flows in regards to multi device array optimisation.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 Method
Grid turbulence generator
b = bar width; M = grid spacing.
Flow straightener

l = f(b)

U M l

0.8m 2m

Turbine instrumented to
measure rotor thrust
and torque, and blade
1m In-plane and Out-of-
plane bending moments.
z
x Flume bed

Turbulence decays with distance downstream of grid. Turbine installed at locations behind grid
with approximately 15, 10, and 5% turbulence intensity.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 IFREMER experiments

• Turbulence generated using a static grid in IFREMER circulating water flume.

• 2 grids used to generate small scale, and large scale turbulence.

• Velocities measured using a 2 component LDA at ~350Hz.

• 0.8m diameter Turbine installed in turbulent flows and rotor and blade loads
measured using custom designed thrust/torque dynamometer.

• Turbine controlled using a fast response electronic load.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 Turbine Cp and Ct
Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4 Case 5
Case 1 Case 2 I
= 4.6%; Case 3 I =Case
14.3%;
4 Case 5 I = 10.2%;
Case 6 I = 6.8%; I = 25.2%;
I = 4.6%; I = 14.3%;` = 0.76m I = 10.2%; ` 0.15m
=I = 6.8%; I = 25.2%; ` = 0.18m
I = 17.8%; ` = 0.22m ` = 0.28m
` = 0.76m ` = 0.15m ` = 0.18m ` = 0.22m ` = 0.28m ` = 0.41m

(a) (b)
0.5 (a)
0.5 (b)
0.5 0.45 0.5
.45
0.4
0.45
• Variations in peak Cp in

Power Coefficient
0.4
0.45 0.35

.35 0.3
0.4excess of 10%.
0.25
Power Coefficient

Power Coefficient
0.3 0.4
0.35
• Increasing turbulence
0.2
.25
0.15
0.35 0.3intensity reduces Cp.
0.2 0.1
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Thrust Coefficient Thrust Coefficient
0.25
0.3
• Increasing turbulence
0.2
length scale increases
0.25
0.15Cp.

0.2 0.1
0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.
Thrust Coefficient Thrust Coefficien

Red – large grid Blue – small grid.

T. Blackmore, L. Myers, A.S. Bahaj, “Turbulence and tidal turbines: performance, blade loadings, and condition
monitoring”, In: IJOME (2015). (Submitted)
Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk
 In-plane Blade root
Bending moment
• Cyclic variation in in-plane blade
root bending moment due to:
– Weight of blade
– Velocity shear
– Turbulence

• Increase in turbulence:
– Increase in frequency of
fluctuations.
– Fluctuations appear more
chaotic.
– Increase in magnitude of
fluctuations.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 Concluding remarks

• Turbulence generated using a static grid.

• 0.8m diameter turbine operated in the different turbulent

flows.

• Increasing turbulence intensity reduces the Cp.

• Increasing turbulence length scale increases the Cp.

• Turbulence increases the frequency and magnitude of force

fluctuations on the blades.

• Significant implications for the reliability and survivability

of turbine blades.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 Acknowledgements

• This work has been conducted as part of the University of

Southampton’s marine energy research activities within the
sustainable energy research group.

• This work has been supported by the EPSRC

(EP/K013319/1) and has received support from MARINET,
a European Community - Research Infrastructure Action
under the FP7 “Capacities” Specific Programme.

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk

 Questions?

Tom Blackmore , Luke S Myers, AbuBakr S Bahaj

16 June 2014

Turbulence and its effect on a tidal stream turbine www.energy.soton.ac.uk