Ocean current turbine power take-off design using fluid dynamics and towing tank experiments

Setare  Sadeqi; Shahab  Rouhi; Nikolaos I.  Xiros; Erdem  Aktosun; Lothar  Birk; Juliette  Ioup; Miguel  Trejos

doi:10.59400/mea.v2i2.1561

Setare Sadeqi Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA; Department of Physics, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA
Shahab Rouhi Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA; Department of Physics, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA
Nikolaos I. Xiros Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA
Erdem Aktosun Department of Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering, İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University, Çiğli 35620, Turkey
Lothar Birk Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA
Juliette Ioup Department of Physics, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA
Miguel Trejos Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of New Orleans, Louisiana 70148, USA

Article ID: 1561

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/mea.v2i2.1561

Keywords: ocean current turbine (OCT); hydrokinetic turbine performance; blade element momentum (BEM) theory; magnetic coupling optimization; dynamometer testing

Abstract

This study investigates the performance and power generation capabilities of a small-scale hydrokinetic turbine by comparing numerical simulations with experimental measurements. The key difference between the two models comes from the initial numerical analysis which focused only on the permanent magnet DC motor (PMDC) motor’s parameters and did not account for the gear-head reduction that leads to discrepancies in current and torque predictions, especially at lower input voltages. In practice, friction losses within the gear-head increased the required current and torque, highlighting inefficiencies in the motor gear-head system. A modified experimental setup incorporated a magnetic coupling to address leakage issues and enhance system reliability. While the magnetic coupling resulted in a slight reduction in speed, current, and torque, it improved the overall integrity of the system which is essential for marine applications. The comparison between experimental results and Blade Element Momentum (BEM) simulations showed good agreement at lower speeds, but the simulations under-predicted power at higher speeds, likely due to the model’s limitations in capturing complex hydrodynamic phenomena. This shows the need for comprehensive analysis, integrating both numerical and experimental approaches to optimize turbine performance. Future research will focus on refining experimental methodologies and further improving turbine design and efficiency for hydrokinetic energy systems.

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