A innovative modeling approach to investigate the efficiency of cross flow water turbine farms (original) (raw)

In 2001, the Geophysical and Industrial Fluid Flows laboratory (LEGI-France) launched the HARVEST research program (Hydroliennes à Axe de Rotation VErtical STabilisé) to better understand and develop a suitable technology for hydroelectric marine or river power farms using Cross Flow Water Turbines (CFWT) piled up in towers. The LEGI researches deal with the hydrodynamic part of these systems, with the support of the R&D Division of the EDF Group; other laboratories of the Rhône-Alpes Region are in charge of the respective mechanical (3S-INPG and LDMS-INSA) and electrical aspects (LEG-INPG). The present study deals with the study of CFWT arrangements. In a first part, a single turbine for free fluid flow conditions is considered. The simulations are carried out with a new in house code which cou- ples a Navier-Stokes computation of the outer flow field with a description of the inner flow field around the turbine. The latter approach is validated with experimental results of a Darri...