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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A3: Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2024 | Viewed by 10168

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Prof. Dr. Sylvain Guillou

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Cherbourg University Laboratory of Applied Sciences LUSAC, University of Caen Normandy, 60 Rue Max-Pol Fouchet, 50130 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
Interests: environmental fluid dynamics; turbulence; sediment transport; computational fluid dynamics; tidal turbines
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Dr. Eric L. Bibeau

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Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
Interests: tidal turbines; renewable energies; heat transfers; turbulence
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Dr. Jérôme Thiebot

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Laboratoire Universitaire de Sciences Appliquées de Cherbourg (LUSAC, EA 4253), Normandy University, UNICAEN, 60 rue Max Pol Fouchet, CS 20082, 50130 Cherbourg-Octeville, France
Interests: tidal resource; tidal turbine; wake; turbulence; wave; tide; hydrodynamic modelling; coastal oceanography; coastal processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tidal currents contain a large amount of highly predictable energy. Harvesting this energy with marine turbines could enable producing a large amount of low-carbon energy and thus contribute to the reduction in fossil fuels in the energy mix. Although a great deal of research has been conducted on marine turbines, there is still much work to be done to improve designs, reduce costs, and ensure minimal impact on the environment. Thus, research is still needed in several areas such as the characterization of the resource, the development of turbines and their components, the use of new materials, the optimization of turbine layouts, and the assessment of interactions between turbines and the environment.

This second Special Issue on tidal turbines aims to bring together the latest research results on marine turbines according to the following topics:

Tidal resource characterization and modeling;
Tidal device development and testing: innovative devices, design, laboratory and field-scale experimental studies, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), materials for the performance;
Loadings and fatigue: fluid–structure interaction (FSI), small- and full-scale measurements, materials, fatigue, loadings;
Layout organization and optimization;
Environment interactions: Effects on sediment transports, impacts on the aquatic environment, fooling effects on the performance;
Field deployment results;
Turbines in microgrid configurations.

Prof. Dr. Sylvain Guillou
Dr. Eric L. Bibeau
Dr. Jérôme Thiebot
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

tidal turbines
devices testing
layout organization
resource assessment
fluid structure interactions
environmental interactions
levelized cost of energy
energy storage

Related Special Issue

Tidal Turbines in Energies (13 articles)

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 1765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Model Predictions of the Unsteady Tidal Stream Resource and Turbine Fatigue Loads Relative to Multi-Point Flow Measurements at Raz Blanchard

by Hannah Mullings, Samuel Draycott, Jérôme Thiébot, Sylvain Guillou, Philippe Mercier, Jon Hardwick, Ed Mackay, Philipp Thies and Tim Stallard

Energies 2023, 16(20), 7057; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16207057 - 12 Oct 2023

Viewed by 982

Abstract

The next stage of development of the tidal stream industry will see a focus on the deployment of tidal turbines in arrays of increasing device numbers and rated power. Successful array development requires a thorough understanding of the resource within potential deployment sites. This is predictable in terms of flow speeds, based upon tidal constituents. However, the operating environment for the turbine is more complex than the turbine experiencing a uniform flow, with turbulence, shear and wave conditions all affecting the loading on the turbine components. This study establishes the accuracy with which several alternative modelling tools predict the resource characteristics which define unsteady loading—velocity shear, turbulence and waves—and assesses the impact of the model choice on predicted damage equivalent loads. In addition, the predictions of turbulence are compared to a higher fidelity model and the occurrence of flow speeds to a Delft3D model for currents and waves. These models have been run for a specific tidal site, the Raz Blanchard, one of the major tidal stream sites in European waters. The measured resource and predicted loading are established using data collected in a recent deployment of acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) as part of the Interreg TIGER project. The conditions are measured at three locations across the site, with transverse spacing of 145.7 m and 59.3 m between each device. Turbine fatigue loading is assessed using measurements and model predictions based on an unsteady blade element momentum model applied to near-surface and near-bed deployment positions. As well as across-site spatial variation of loading, the through life loading over a 5-year period results in an 8% difference to measured loads for a near-surface turbine, using conditions purely defined from a resource model and to within 3% when using a combination of modelled shear with measured turbulence characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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23 pages, 6113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling and Performance Analysis of a Tidal Current Turbine Connected to the Grid Using an Inductance (LCL) Filter

by Ladislas Mutunda Kangaji, Lagouge Tartibu and Pitshou N. Bokoro

Energies 2023, 16(16), 6090; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166090 - 21 Aug 2023

Viewed by 944

Abstract

Nowadays, integrating renewable energy sources, such as tidal power, into the existing power grids of turbines is crucial for sustainable energy generation. However, tidal turbine energy transforms the potential energy of moving water into electrical energy. When both nonlinear load and dynamic load harmonics are present, the tide speed variance causes serious power quality issues such as low power factor, unstable voltage, harmonic distortions, frequency fluctuations, and voltage sags. The integration of an LCL-filter-based connection scheme can address these challenges by improving power quality and the overall performance of the tidal current turbine grid system. This study shifts LCL filter research from its conventional wind energy emphasis to the emerging field of tidal stream generation systems. The LCL filter analysed in this paper is modelled to exhibit adequate mechanical, electrical, and hydrodynamic characteristics. This model accounts for tidal current variations, turbine speed control, and power extraction dynamics. The LCL filter is evaluated for its effectiveness in reducing harmonic distortions, voltage fluctuations, and reactive power fluctuations. This system is composed of a 1.5 MW/C, a 1.2 MW three-level inverter with a nominal voltage of 600 V, and an inductance (LCL) filter. The results show that the inverter produces a harmonic distortion of less than 0.5%, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the filter in improving total harmonic distortion, reactive power consumption, and voltage control. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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27 pages, 13646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Validation of Actuator Line Modeling and Large Eddy Simulations of Kite-Borne Tidal Stream Turbines against ADCP Observations

by Nimal Sudhan Saravana Prabahar, Sam T. Fredriksson, Göran Broström and Björn Bergqvist

Energies 2023, 16(16), 6040; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16166040 - 17 Aug 2023

Viewed by 800

Abstract

The representation of tidal energy in future renewable energy systems is growing. Most of the current tidal turbine designs are limited by the minimum current velocity required for efficient operation. The Deep Green (DG) is a kite-borne tidal power plant designed to sustain efficient operation in tidal current velocities as low as 1.2 ms⁻¹. This could increase the geographical areas suitable for large-scale tidal power arrays. Numerical modeling of the Deep Green was carried out in a previous study using large eddy simulations and the actuator line method. This numerical model is compared with acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measurements taken in the wake of a DG operating in a tidal flow under similar conditions. To be comparable, and since the ADCP measures current velocities using averages of beam components, the numerical model data were resampled using a virtual ADCP in the domain. The sensitivity of the wake observations to ADCP parameters such as pulse length, bin length, and orientation of the beams is studied using this virtual ADCP. After resampling with this virtual ADCP, the numerical model showed good agreement with the observations. Overall, the LES/ALM model predicted the flow features well compared to the observations, although the turbulence levels were underpredicted for an undisturbed tidal flow and overestimated in the DG wake 70 m downstream. The velocity deficit in the DG wake was weaker in the observations compared to the LES. The ALM/LES modeling of kite-borne tidal stream turbines is suitable for further studies of array optimization and wake propagation, etc. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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15 pages, 16639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Vertical Confinement and Blade Flexibility on Cross-Flow Turbines

by Mohamed-Larbi Kara-Mostefa, Ludovic Chatellier and Lionel Thomas

Energies 2023, 16(9), 3693; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093693 - 25 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1055

Abstract

Both scientific and industrial communities have a growing interest in marine renewable energies. There is a wide variety of technologies in this domain, with different degrees of maturity. This study focuses on two models of a mast-free vertical axis Darrieus tidal turbine with the objective of characterizing the effect of vertical confinement, rotor configuration, and fluid–structure interactions on their performances in free-surface flows. The first model comprised four straight rigid blades maintained by circular flanges on both ends of the rotor and the second model is equipped with free-ended interchangeable blades attached to a single upper flange. Two configurations of the second model mounted with either rigid or flexible blades were used, first for comparison with the dual-flange turbine, then in order to address the effect of fluid–structure interactions on the turbine performances. While the single-flange models exhibit a significantly lower efficiency at all operating points, it is observed that the use of flexible blades tends to enhance turbine performances at low Reynolds numbers. The flow topology obtained from PIV measurement at selected operating points is discussed with respect to the performance of each turbine model in order to highlight the role of the dynamic stall and blade–vortex interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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33 pages, 16550 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Learning-Based Prediction of Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Solutions for Vertical-Axis Turbines

by Chloë Dorge and Eric Louis Bibeau

Energies 2023, 16(3), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031130 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1322

Abstract

The following study investigates the effectiveness of a deep learning-based method for predicting the flow field and flow-driven rotation of a vertical-axis hydrokinetic turbine operating in previously unseen free-stream velocities. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is trained and tested using the solutions of five two-dimensional (2-D), foil-resolved Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulations, with free-stream velocities of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 m/s. Based on the boundary conditions of free-stream velocity and rotor position, the flow fields of x-velocity, y-velocity, pressure, and turbulent viscosity are inferred, in addition to the angular velocity of the rotor. Three trained CNN models are developed to evaluate the effects of (1) the dimensions of the training data, and (2) the number of simulations used as training cases. Reducing data dimensions was found to diminish mean relative error in predictions of velocity and turbulent viscosity, while increasing it in predictions of pressure and angular velocity. Increasing the number of training cases from two to three was found to reduce relative error for all predicted unknowns. With the best achieved CNN model, the variables of x-velocity, y-velocity, pressure, turbulent viscosity, and angular velocity were inferred with mean relative errors of 6.93%, 9.82%, 10.7%, 7.48%, and 0.817%, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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18 pages, 8566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockage Corrections for Tidal Turbines—Application to an Array of Turbines in the Alderney Race

by Nasteho Djama Dirieh, Jérôme Thiébot, Sylvain Guillou and Nicolas Guillou

Energies 2022, 15(10), 3475; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15103475 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1671

Abstract

Tidal turbines are located in shallow water depths in comparison to their dimensions (15 m-diameter turbines in 40 m depths, typically). Constrained vertically by the water depth and laterally by neighbouring turbines, the flow within a tidal farm is subjected to blockage effects that influence the performance of individual devices. The Betz limit (which is the maximum power extractable from an unconstrained flow) can, therefore, be exceeded as demonstrated by Garrett and Cummins. Thus, beyond a significant blockage ratio, blockage effects should be considered when assessing the energy production of a tidal farm. The actuator disk method is particularly suited to simulate the flow field within an array of turbines under realistic tidal flow conditions. However, the implementation of actuator disks in coastal numerical models relies on relationships that neglect the blockage effects on the thrust and power of devices. We propose here an actuator disk formulation corrected to integrate these effects. This modified formulation, based on the model of Whelan et al., is integrated into a regional implementation of a three-dimensional model Telemac3D targeted towards the Alderney Race (English Channel). The method is applied to two hypothetical tidal farms with aligned and staggered arrangements, respectively. Blockage corrections of the thrust and power coefficients are found to have counterbalanced effects on the array production. Thrust correction results in a noticeable flow reduction within the array. However, the associated decrease of the array production is counterbalanced by the increase of the turbine power coefficient. Blockage corrections were, therefore, found to result in a slight increase, by 3%, of the array production over a mean spring tidal cycle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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34 pages, 5443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Studying the Wake of a Tidal Turbine with an IBM-LBM Approach Using Realistic Inflow Conditions

by Mickael Grondeau, Sylvain S. Guillou, Jean Charles Poirier, Philippe Mercier, Emmnuel Poizot and Yann Méar

Energies 2022, 15(6), 2092; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15062092 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1976

Abstract

The lattice Boltzmann method is used to model a horizontal axis tidal turbine. Because tidal turbines generally operate in highly turbulent flows, a synthetic eddy method is implemented to generate realistic turbulent inflow condition. The approach makes use of the open-source code Palabos. Large eddy simulation is employed. A coupling between an immersed boundary method and a wall model is realized to model the turbine. Calculations are performed at two different turbulence rates. The upstream flow condition is first set up to match with experimental results. Numerical simulations of a tidal turbine with realistic turbulent inflow conditions are then realized with the lattice Boltzmann method. The approach is found to be in good agreement with experimental data. Cases with three different inflow turbulence rates are simulated. An almost linear evolution with the turbulence rate is observed for the axial velocity deficit. An analysis of the propagation of tip-vortices in the close wake is carried out. It is found that turbulence has a great impact on the tip-vortices propagation envelope. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tidal Turbines II)

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