Research on Blade Design of Lift–Drag-Composite Tidal-Energy Turbine at Low Flow Velocity

Abstract

The research on tidal-current energy-capture technology mainly focuses on the conditions of high flow velocity, focusing on the use of differential pressure lift, while the average flow velocity in most sea areas of China is less than 1.5 m/s, especially in the marine aquaculture area, where tidal-current energy is needed to provide green energy locally. Due to the low flow velocity of this type of sea area, it seriously affects the effect of differential pressure lift, which is conducive to exerting the effect of impact resistance. In this regard, the coupling effect of the differential pressure lift and the impact resistance on the blade torque is comprehensively considered, this research puts forward the design method of the lift-–drag-composite thin-plate arc turbine blade. Based on the blade element momentum (BEM) theory and Bernoulli’s principle, the turbine dynamic model was established, and the nonlinear optimization method was used to solve the shape parameters of the turbine blades, and the thin-plate arc and NACA airfoil blade turbines were trial-produced under the same conditions. A model experiment was carried out in the experimental pool, and the Xiangshan sea area in Ningbo, East China Sea was taken as the experimental sea area. The results of the two experiments showed the same trend, indicating that the energy-harvesting performance of the lift–drag-composite blade was significantly better than that of the lift blade under the conditions of low flow velocity and small radius, which verified the correctness of the blade design method, and can promote the research and development of tidal energy under the conditions of low flow velocity and small radius.