Research paper: Assessment of Dependency of Unsteady Onset Flow and Resultant Tidal Turbine Fatigue Loads on Measurement Position at a Tidal Site
Files
Details
This work determines the variation in the fatigue loading on a tidal turbine at two depth positions and two different locations within a site. Site data were obtained at the European Marine
Energy Centre, EMEC, test facility in Scotland, which has been compiled at the University of Edinburgh. The turbine modelled is the 18m Diameter DEEP-gen 1MW horizontal axis turbine.
A blade element method is combined with a synthetic turbulence inflow to determine forces alongthe blade over a period of five tidal cycles. The focus is on establishing the difference between the
loads at one tidal site, with an emphasis on the variety of turbulent conditions, with the onset flow fluctuations as great as 17% and the average integral lengthscales varying from 11 to 14 m at hub
height. Fatigue loading is assessed using damage equivalent loads, with a 30% variation between turbine positions and 32% between turbine locations within a site, for one design case.When long
term loading is assessed, a 41% difference is found for aggregated loads for a near surface turbine and a 28% difference for a near bed turbine.
Authors
Hannah Mullings and Tim Stallard
EN 
FR