Analysis of Turbine Hydrodynamic Interactions - A Preliminary Investigation

A tidal current turbine is a device to harness tidal current energy by using a similar mechanical principle as a wind turbine. A group of tidal turbines, distributed in a site, is called a turbine farm. In our previous research we studied the working principle of a single tidal current turbine and conducted numerical analysis to predict its performance. We identified the importance of studying the hydrodynamic interactions between turbines in a farm to provide an accurate prediction on power output of a turbine. In this paper, we study turbine hydrodynamic interactions by employing a discrete vortex method and the potential flow theory. We analyze the hydrodynamic interactions within a single turbine for different turbine design options, such as blade and arm component. Based on the results from single turbine interactions, we then analyze the hydrodynamic interactions between multiple turbines after specifying turbine distributions in a site. Finally, key factors affecting the turbine power efficiency in the turbine design and farm planning stages, are identified.