Performance analysis and offshore applications of the diffuser augmented tidal turbines

ABSTRACT

Diffuser-augmented tidal turbines (DATTs) are determined and regarded as efficient in converting tidal energy. In this paper, which is stipulated by a large group of researchers, the highly established module performance of a diffuser turbine is numerically studied by the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Numerical analysis shows that the pressure distributions near the blade tip gradually change for a DATT than a non-diffuser augmented tidal turbine (NDATT), which indicates that the diffuser can effectively reduce the loss of blade tip. The practical assessment through anticipated and assured procedure in the application of this turbine was conducted offshore at Daishan Island and observed to have slightly higher energy efficiency than the experimental model.

KEYWORDS:

• Tidal energy
• horizontal axis turbine
• diffuser
• numerical simulation
• energy efficiency

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 52001138, 52071094, 51809059, 52071097, 52101356]; National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [grant numbers BK20201029, 20KJB416005, 21KJB580011]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [grant number 2018M631915]; Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project [grant number SY202111641633002]; Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Programme of Jiangsu Ocean University [grant number KYCX2021-023].