Assessment of the numerical and experimental performance of screw tidal turbines

Abstract

This study was aimed at the numerical and experimental modeling of water flow during collision between water and vertical screw turbine blades with different cross sections (i.e. Darrieus, spoon, and airfoil). ANSYS Fluent was used to model water flow under tidal currents in a flume, and mesh independence was ensured after the selection of appropriate geometry. The collision problem was then solved in the transient state, and results on the momentum and power generated by different inlet velocities and different blade cross sections were analyzed. The findings showed that torque and turbine power increased with increasing inlet velocity. Subsequently, a turbine was experimentally created, with cross sections drawn in the numerical model and tested under the same conditions as that imposed on the model. Installing a multimeter on the turbine enabled the generation of turbine power in different dimensions. The resultant power increased with rising turbine dimensions. After obtaining the numerical and experimental results, the value of the output power of the turbine was validated. The validation indicated a 7% difference in output power between the numerical and experimental results, indicating acceptable accuracy.