International audienceTo convert the kinetic energy of marine current into electricity, the most sensible generator is a horizontal axis turbine. The know-how and the tools used for marine propulsion devices find a new range of applications in this field. An academic panel method code developed for the design of bare and ducted marine propellers was applied to design a marine current turbine. The turbine dimension and the tidal current velocity have been taken to fit the conditions in the Race of Alderney. The wing section theory and the optimum rotor theory based on the blade element momentum were used to obtain the design condition and a first geometry approaching the Betz limit for a bare rotor. The panel method was then used to verify the power coefficient obtained in the presence of the 3D effects and if the cavitation constraints are respected. Subsequently, the same panel code was used to verify if the addition of a duct could improve the power output per unit surface
The marine current turbine is the mechanical device that captures the kinetic energy of marine current to generate electrical power. This paper presents the application of an academic panel code based on potential flow theory for the analysis of marine current turbines. The aim of this work is also to analyze the effect of the addition of a duct on the hydrodynamic performance of the turbine. The numerical results show that the addition of duct improves significantly the efficiency of the turbine.
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