Numerical Investigation on the Performance of a Prototyped Tidal Turbine

Tidal turbines are a type of renewable energy technology designed to harness the kinetic energy of tides and convert it into electricity. Several tidal energy projects and prototypes are being developed worldwide, and the ongoing research aims to improve efficiency and reduce costs. In our work, we developed a new prototyped tidal turbine, and our intention is to validate its performance using finite element simulations. The prototype is based on the Darrius concept and an NACA0018 blade profile. The Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes equations model coupled with the k-epsilon turbulence model is used. By varying the fluid velocity from 1 to 2.5 m/s, numerical results show that tidal torque ranges from 1.6 to 10.2 N.m, rotational speed ranges from 6.8 to 17 rad/s, and tidal power ranges from 11 to 173.3 W. The kinetic power coefficient of the designed tidal turbine is found to be equal to 0.113.