Horizontal axis turbines
Today, global energy production is dominated by the use of fossil fuel such as coal, oil and natural gas but this type of energy production cannot be sustained. Marine energy offers potentially large resource with low environmental impact. The technology for marine energy conversion is now progressing through the prototype stage and research in this field has advanced these devices and systems into useful products, which are becoming economically viable for an increasing range of applications. The high load factors resulting from the fluid properties and the predictable resource characteristics make marine currents particularly attractive for power generation and advantageous when compared to other renewables.
Ifremer have launched a research program, based on PhD works [1 ; 2 ; 3], for the better knowledge of horizontal axis marine current turbines behaviour in harsh environments. The obtained results have been valorized through several scientific papers :
- some experimental developments for the evaluation of turbine performance and interaction effects :
- Tidal Energy Round Robin Tests. Comparisons between towing tank and circulating tank results, B. Gaurier, G. Germain & al., Int. J. of Marine Energy, Marinet special issue, Vol. 12, 2015
- Experimental study of the turbulence intensity effects on marine current turbines behaviour,
- specific studies to characterize the impact of turbulence and waves on the performance and loadings acting on tidal turbine :
- Turbulence analysis and multiscale correlations between synchronised flow velocity and marine turbine power production, O. Duran Medina, F.G. Schmitt, R. Califff, G. Germain, B. Gaurier, under review in Renewable Energy.
- Flume tank characterisation of marine current turbine blade behaviour under current and wave loading, B. Gaurier, G. Germain, P. Davies, A. Deuff, Renewable Energy, Vol. 59, 2013
- Evaluation of the durability of composite tidal turbine blades, P. Davies, G. Germain, B. Gaurier & al., Phil. Trans. of Royal Society A, Vol. 371, 2013
- some numerical developments to simulate the behavior of turbines array in harsh environment :
- Numerical simulation of the wake of marine current turbines with a particle method, G. Pinon, P. Mycek, G. Germain, E. Rivoalen, Renewable Energy, Vol. 46, 2012
- Numerical and experimental study of the interaction between two marine current turbines, P. Mycek, G. Germain, B. Gaurier, G. Pinon, E. Rivoalen, Int. J. of Marine Energy, Vol. 1, 2013.
[1] Clément CARLIER, Simulation du comportement d'hydroliennes dans des conditions de fonctionnement réalistes, PhD Thesis (in progress), Université du Havre (Région Normandie/Ifremer).
[2] Paul MYCEK, Étude numérique et expérimentale du comportement d'hydroliennes, PhD Thesis 2013, Université du Havre (Région Normandie/Ifremer).
[3] Fabrice MAGANGA, Caractérisationnumérique et expérimentale des effets d'interaction entre une hydrolienne et le milieu marin, PhD Thesis 2011, Université du Havre (Région Normandie/Ifremer).