Reducing the design driving loads of water turbines
Tidal energy turbines harness the power of flowing water in oceans and rivers. It's an upcoming form of alternative energy which has attracted businesses worldwide to develop new concepts. For this assignment, the know-how of ECN (www.ecn.nl ) and the demonstration turbine of Tocardo (www.tocardo.com ) is offered to a student who has the ambition to work on the frontiers of renewable energy technology.
Introduction
Tidal energy receives an increasing interest from the renewable energy market. Compared to wind energy, tidal energy has low visual impact and uses a source of energy that is highly predictable and has a high intensity.
Background
This assignment focusses on the design driving loads of horizontal axis water turbines. In case of a double failure in which both the connection to the power grid is lost and a brake system fails, the rotor of the turbine speeds up untill there is no net torque on the rotor. In such a free spinning situation, loads on the blades and turbine support structure show to be most critical to the turbine design. Therefore, a radical reduction in CoE can be achieved if these design driving loads are reduced.
Assignment
You will be challenged to formulate your own assignment which shows an inventive approach to explore the possibilities to reduce the loads during free spinning. Your research may consider these questions:
- How high are the loads during free spinning and which are cricital?
- Which possibilities do a different blade design offer?
- Which possibilities offer the application of water brakes?
Both simulation software from the wind industry (BOT, FOCUS, AWSM, CFD) as well as a demonstration turbine at the Tocardo are available for this research.
Practical details
You will be offered both a workplace and tutor at ECN in Petten. Tocardo will offer you insight on their turbine design and experimental data. The results from this research will have to be treated confidential but publication will be possible.
Contact
Gerard Schepers, ECN: schepers@ecn.nl +31 224 564894
Timo Spijkerboer, Tocardo: ts@tocardo.com +31 226 423411
2011M0041 thesis assignment free spinning.docx 2 2
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