Performance and wake flow characterization of a 1:8.7-scale reference USDOE MHKF1 hydrokinetic turbine to establish a verification and validation test database

Performance and Wake Characterization of a Model Hydrokinetic Turbine: The Reference Model 1 (RM1) Dual Rotor Tidal Energy Converter

“…Nearly a dozen studies review experimental scale model investigations of performance characteristics of single, two and three-bladed hydrokinetic turbine rotors and the factors affecting performance [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Across these experiments, rotors diameters have ranged from 0.45 m to 1.2 m [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

“…Nearly a dozen studies review experimental scale model investigations of performance characteristics of single, two and three-bladed hydrokinetic turbine rotors and the factors affecting performance [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Across these experiments, rotors diameters have ranged from 0.45 m to 1.2 m [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Sensing capabilities in experimental models enabled observing the impact on rotor performance resulting from varying inflow turbulence intensity, unsteady loading, blade geometry, blade pitch, blade roughness (fouling), rotor yaw, submergence and cavitation, and surface waves [6,7,9,10,[12][13][14]16,18].…”

“…Sensing capabilities in experimental models enabled observing the impact on rotor performance resulting from varying inflow turbulence intensity, unsteady loading, blade geometry, blade pitch, blade roughness (fouling), rotor yaw, submergence and cavitation, and surface waves [6,7,9,10,[12][13][14]16,18]. In some cases, sensors connected to turbine blades provided unique observations of blade loads under varying operating and unsteady loading conditions [5,15,16,19,20]. Achieving Reynolds number independent performance results continues to be a challenge in small scale experiments, especially when combined with increased blockage ratios [5,17].…”

“…In some cases, sensors connected to turbine blades provided unique observations of blade loads under varying operating and unsteady loading conditions [5,15,16,19,20]. Achieving Reynolds number independent performance results continues to be a challenge in small scale experiments, especially when combined with increased blockage ratios [5,17]. However, results indicate that the power coefficient, C P , is more sensitive than the thrust coefficient, C T , to both Reynolds number and blockage ratio [17].…”

“…To minimize this, experiments were completed at the highest blade chord length Reynolds number and lowest blockage ratio possible within the constraints of the test facility. In most cases, however, no Reynolds dependency studies were reported [5]. Blockage corrections were applied for most experiments to predict turbine performance in open water unconfined conditions [5,6,[9][10][11]17].…”