Modeling analysis of the mean flow velocity ahead of a rotating tidal turbine

Abstract

This paper presents a novel method for modeling the mean radial velocity component ahead of a rotating tidal turbine. Firstly, it examines a recent hybrid model designed to reconstruct the three-dimensional mean  axial flow field in front of an operating turbine under various flow conditions (uniform, shear) and rotational speeds (thrust turbine coefficient). Subsequently, based on the continuity equation and the axial velocity reconstruction on a meshgrid, a new turbine induction model is proposed to model the mean velocity component. The model is validated against experimental data under both uniform and shear flow conditions, showing excellent agreement between the modeling and experimental results, with minor discrepancies near the blade tips. The proposed method provides a useful tool to evaluate the induction impact of the angle of attack of the blade while considering the characteristics of the incoming average flow field.