Report

Introduction

Wind and solar heating of the ocean near the equator are the driving forces of ocean currents, and in some cases, by differences in water density and salinity. An example of an
ocean current is the California Current (shown below):

Ocean current speeds tend to be faster at the surface, whereas slower currents are prone to depths just below a ship's draft. The associated kinetic energy of a flowing body is
proportional to the cube it's velocity, however, one other important factor is the density of the fluid. The ratio of wind:water density is around 835:1, thus for, say, 1m^2 of area of flow
being swept, the energy within a water flow of ≈5m/s can be shown to be equivalent to the wind flow of ≈50m/s

i.e.

5^3*835 ≈ 50^3

The conversion of this energy can be achieved by means of a submerged turbine, having rotor blades, a device to convert angular rotational energy into power, and a connection to
the power grid. Typically, the turbines are strategically placed in groups such that their spacing is sufficient to avoid overlapping wakes and interference.

Mathematical Model

Mathematical models can be applied to estimate efficiency and power limits. When constructing the mathematical model, it must be decided what is negligible and can be ignored.
For example, the curvature of fluid streams, which may result in an overestimate of power generated. Furthermore, the number of spacial dimensions that may be considered, fluid
properties, and mathematical scaling (by maintaining a constant Reynolds number) are additional attributes of modeling.

Case Study: Power Generation Approximation

Background

Assuming we're in possession of a fleet of twin-turbine devices with 20-meter diameter rotors, which have their central axes positioned 15 meters above the sea floor. Using
predictive modeling of the performance of the energy system, it is to be determined how many would be required to represent a 150MW coal-fired power station.

There is considerable current flow speeds along the east coast of North America, which flow in a north direction around Florida (see below). Thus, this would be a viable area of
interest if a fleet of ocean turbines were available.
 436-311 – Design Project No. 4:
Turbine Aerodynamics

uator Disc” concept LEFT: Ocean current speeds vary from around 2 to 4 knots (1 to 2 m/s), and tend to slow down further north where the flow is disrupted by Eddies. RIGHT: A clearer map.
turbine rotor can be thought of as a thin circular disc corresponding to the region
es. This disc acts on the mass of air passing perpendicularly through it in such a
energy from that air (figure 1). Derivations
Consider the swept region of the blades as a disc:

! p0 p0

V2 p0 V2

V1
R A=" R 2
p_0 = atmospheric pressure
Figure 1: spinning windV_1 turbine rotorvelocity
= upwind
V_2 = downwind velocity
the axial wind velocities far upstream and downstream, where the air pressure is at
V_1(1-a) = turbine interface intermediate velocity, where a is the proportion by which air has slowed in it's approach to the turbine disc
p0 . Due to the air’s loss of kinetic energy from stations ‘1’ to ‘2’,
elocity V2 will naturally be less than
Thetheeffect
upstream velocity
of this changeV1 . in velocity is a net force, T, (of all forces on each blade):

hanges and thrust on the actuator disc

ecreases gradually from ‘1’ to ‘2’, taking on an intermediate value (somewhere V1 1!a ( )
V2 ) at the turbine disc. Describe this air velocity at the turbine disc as V1 (1! a) ,
oportion by which the air has slowed in its approach to the turbine disc. The
(total) energy of the air, as it passes through the turbine disc, occurs by means of
V , p0 other. This pressure drop across the
static pressure from one side of the disc1 to the T V2 , p0
es a net axial thrust force, T, to act on the turbine disc. pu pd
T, equals the sum total of all the incremental aerodynamic forces on the blade
d along the blade lengths. Using actuator disc theory enables T to be estimated
y. Figure 2: side view of the “stream tube” of air passing through the turbine disc
4. Thrust on the actuator disc
e “stream tube”
Substituting this of air passing
result through
for V2 into the turbine
either disc is shown in
T figure
results2.in:equation,
The
Fromof the two
direct equations
application forBernoulli's
of an expression for T is:
diverge in order to satisfy continuity as the axial velocity slows.
3. Conservation of energy and momentum
2
T = 1 !AV1 " 4a(1 # a)
The only place2 where energy is being extracted from the air is across the disc – at all other locations
along the axis of flow, energy in the wind is being conserved. Two energy conservation (Bernoulli)
equations
Thecan be written:
theoretical one forgenerated
power
t is usual to express the thrust, T in terms of a dimensionless the streamline
“thrust canfrom ‘1’defined
to the disc,
be expressed
coefficient”, as:as and
the another frombetween
difference the disc tokinetic fluid speeds,
‘2’:
T
CT ! 1 2 2 2
2
2 "V1 A
p0 + 12 !V1 = pu + 12 !V1 (1 " a)
2
pd + 12 !V12 (1" a)page p0 + 12 !V22
= 1/5
The denominator of CT is the force that would be produced by the free-stream dynamic pressure,
2
2 !AV1 , acting over the whole turbine disc area, A. Therefore, the thrust coefficient CT is and
akinso
tothe
a thrust is given by:
1
The pressure difference ( pu ! pd ) can be found by subtraction,
horizontal drag coefficient applied to the rotating turbine disc. From the earlier result for T the
ollowing is obtained:
2 "A(V1 !to ) the inflow factor and can range from 0 < a < 0.5 (since if a≥0.5 then V_2 ≤ 0 !!!).
2
( pu ! pd ) = referred
Note that the parameter Ta =isAcommonly 1
V22as

However, the C
thrust (1! amust
force
T = 4a
Calculations ) also be equal to the rate of change of momentum:
( m˙ Vthe
T = !off
In the case of the currents flowing ) coast of Florida, the power generated can be graphed versus variable a ( 0<a<0.5) and incoming flow speed (water current speed):
= m˙ (V1 " V2 )
5. Turbine power
= #AV1 (1 " a)(V1 " V2 )
Having obtained our earlier result that V2 = V1 (1 ! 2a ) , the wind power extracted by the turbine can
now be determined, in terms This is valid
of the factorbecause
‘a’. the mass flow rate throughout the stream tube is equal to the air mass flow
rate through the turbine disc:
At station (location) ‘1’, the rate of transfer of wind kinetic energy into the control volume
epresented by the stream tube from ‘1’ to ‘2’ is: m˙ = !AV1 (1" a) .

Equating these independent

E˙ ! 12 m˙ Vequations
2 for axial thrust T results in:
K, in 1

and at station (location) ‘2’, the rate of kinetic energy transfer out ofVthe same control volume is:
2 = V1 (1 ! 2a )

E˙ K, out ! 12 m˙ V12 (1 " 2a) .

2

This indicates that the velocity at the turbine disc, V1 (1! a) , is exactly the mean of V1 and V2 .
The difference between these two is just the wind power extracted by the turbine:

[
P = E˙ K,in ! E˙ K, out " 12 m˙ V12 1 ! (1 ! 2a)2 ]
= 12 #AV13 $ 4a(1 ! a)2 .

Again, express the power, P, in terms of a dimensionless “power coefficient”, defined as:
This qualitatively illustrates the obvious effect of the incident velocity and parameter a on the power generated for the flow range considered off the shore-line of Florida. More
quantitatively, the power generated can be calculated for a range of fluid current velocities for a given a. Using excel we have,

a= 0.1 a= 0.2 a= 0.3

A= 628.3185307 A= 628.3185307 A= 628.3185307
Fluid Speed (m/s) Power (kW) Fluid Speed (m/s) Power (kW) Fluid Speed (m/s) Power (kW)
0 0 0 0 0 0
0.2 0.814300816 0.2 1.286796351 0.2 1.477805184
0.4 6.514406526 0.4 10.29437081 0.4 11.82244147
0.6 21.98612203 0.6 34.74350147 0.6 39.90073997
0.8 52.11525221 0.8 82.35496646 0.8 94.57953179
1 101.787602 1 160.8495439 1 184.725648
1.2 175.8889762 1.2 277.9480118 1.2 319.2059198
1.4 279.3051798 1.4 441.3711484 1.4 506.8871782
1.6 416.9220177 1.6 658.8397317 1.6 756.6362543
1.8 593.6252947 1.8 938.0745398 1.8 1077.319979
2 814.3008158 2 1286.796351 2 1477.805184
2.2 1083.834386 2.2 1712.725943 2.2 1966.9587
2.4 1407.11181 2.4 2223.584094 2.4 2553.647358
2.6 1789.018892 2.6 2827.091583 2.6 3246.73799
2.8 2234.441439 2.8 3530.969187 2.8 4055.097426

If we then assume that average sustained flows are around 1.6m/s or higher and overall turbine efficiency of around 20% (see below)

then in each case we have the mean generated power of,

a= 0.1 a= 0.2 a= 0.3

Average 83.38440354 131.7679463 151.3272509

It is easy to see that with an increase of a, the power generated also increases. It can be graphically shown (see below) that power generation attains a maximum for a of 1/3,
If, then, transmission losses were neglected, the number of required ocean turbines to represent a 150MW coal-fired power station could be approximated as,

Assuming
- no transmission losses
- 20% efficiency
- no build-up of barnacles, etc, on the rotor (decaying efficiency)
- constant flow speed
- a factor of around 0.3

Thus, around 228 ocean turbines are needed.

Furthermore, it is interesting to see that around 1 squared meter will produce a kilowatt of power.