Adaptive Torque Control of In-Stream Hydrokinetic Turbines

In-stream hydrokinetic turbines, devices that generate electrical power from moving currents without the use of dams, have the potential to significantly impact the electrical power portfolio of many countries. This work focuses on improving the power production of in-stream hydrokinetic turbines by implementing an adaptive controller that regulates shaft torque. This controller is evaluated using a numerical rotor simulation that utilizes a blade element momentum approach with a dynamic wake in-flow model. The conducted numerical simulations demonstrate that adaptive control can effectively converge a sub-optimal controller gain to an optimal one that maximizes shaft power using only measured RPM and flow speed values.