Experimental Study on Wake Interaction between Two Units of Tidal Current Turbine

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.16.394

Abstract

Abstract: In order to study the characteristics of wake field under different spacing of two units in a single row, the model experiment of two units of tidal turbine is carried out in a circulating flume, and the velocity of wake field under three spacing is measured by ADV. The experimental results show that the turbulence intensity near the tip is high and the upper and lower support columns have strong influence on the vertical distribution of the near wake flow. When the spacing is less than 2D, the adjacent wakes appear obvious merge phenomenon. When the adjacent wakes are completely merged, the smaller the unit spacing would lead to the larger the peak value of wake velocity deficit. Different lateral spacing arrangement has little effect on the vertical distribution of the wake flow at the rotating center line of the turbines on both sides. However, when the spacing is 2D, good water flow acceleration effect would appear at the symmetric center line of the two units, which could be utilized by staggering the turbines downstream. The experimental results would provide reference for rational arrangement of tidal turbine array.

Key words: tidal turbine, lateral spacing, model experiment, velocity deficit, turbulence intensity

CLC Number:

ZHANG Zhi, ZHENG Yuan, LIU Zhiqiang, WANG Risheng, ZANG Wei, LI Chengyi. Experimental Study on Wake Interaction between Two Units of Tidal Current Turbine[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(16): 394-402.

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