You are on page 1of 7

Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

2012 International Conference on Future Electrical Power and Energy Systems

The Design and Optimization for The Dome of Tidal Turbine


Hong-bo Lu, Yong-lin Li, Liang-liang Ma, Xiu-ling Pao
School of Energy and Power Engineering
Northeast Dianli University, Jilin City, China, 132012

Abstract
This paper uses Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine for reference. According to the characteristics of ocean current
movement, this paper gives several dome model programs for the straight blade vertical-axis tidal turbine. Make use
of it to increase its output power. This paper gives several dome model programs for the straight blade vertical-axis
tidal turbine. And optimum scheme is chosen by numerical simulation.

Selection
and/or
peer-review
under
responsibility
of Hainan
University.
2012
2011Published
PublishedbybyElsevier
ElsevierLtd.
Ltd.
Selection
and/or
peer-review
under
responsibility
of [name
organizer]
Key words: ocean current power generation; diffuser; dome; numerical simulation

1. Introduction
Since the 20th century, the reserves of fossil fuels decrease year by year because of its extensive use.
Therefore, the reasonable development and utilization of new energy is main measure to solve the energy
crisis. The development and utilization of ocean energy has huge development potential. As the wind can
be used as people also make use of tidal current which is a kind of ocean energy [1, 2]. Tidal current
energy resources are very rich in Zhou Shan Island and the velocity of most coastal waters is in 2 m / s
around [3]. This velocity is very suitable for the operation of tidal turbines. The efficiency of tidal turbine
is 25% to 30% and the efficiency is very low compared to wind turbine. In 1998, Argentina ISEP group
made a proposal for improving the tidal turbine performance, that is installation of dome, and it is very
helpful for tidal turbine [4]. This paper uses Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine for reference [5]. Add a
dome on the vertical axis turbine to increase energy conversion and output power of tidal turbine.
According to the characteristics of ocean current movement, this paper gives several dome model
programs for the straight blade vertical-axis tidal turbine. We discuss the hydrodynamic performance and
provide a theoretical principle for improving research and practice of the vertical-axis tidal turbine.

1876-6102 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Hainan University.
doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2012.02.302

1711

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

2. The Dome Design And Physical Model


According to Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine and the characteristics of ocean current movement,
we design the structure of five different dome models. Based on the former-back expansion type dome we
have made four models by changing size [6, 7]. Geometric parameters are as follows Table 1. According
to the size ratio, we ignore the impeller and then get the two-dimensional simplified model. We get figure
1.
TABLE I .
L/L

Dome Model Parameters


D2/L

2T1()

2T2()

R1/L

R0/L

R2/L

2.655

60

3.809

60

2.655

3.809

60

60

1.5

2.655

3.809

60

60

1.155

3.061

1.5

2.655

3.809

60

60

1.155

0.9014

3.061

1.5

3.809

3.809

60

60

1.5

3.809

4.964

60

60

c-T1

1.5

2.433

3.809

50

60

c-T2

1.5

2.655

3.365

60

50

Structure

L1/L

L2/L

D0/L

1.5

1.5

1.5

c-L1

c-L2

D1/L

3. Turbulent Model and Numerical Simulation


This paper is mainly discussed the influence of improving the enclosure minimum cross-section
and flow field after the sonar installed ,so dont considering impeller and Physical model is simplified to
two-dimensional flow problem. Assume the flow direction perpendicular to the sonar entrance and
constant velocity, through comparing the calculation results of dimensionless coefficient discussion buff.
Turbulence model use the standard model.
Media: water, under atmosphericas incompressible fluidData from the database of the FLUENT
software.
Boundary conditions: the entrance portal using Speed entrance; the export boundary using free flow;
the sonar internal boundary using the internal default boundary, the sonar wall using the solid wall
boundary. Only considering the sonar internal flow field when the flow speed and uniform flow. And
ignore wall material and thickness and temperature heat transfer effect etc.
Meshing: Using quadrilateral grid structure. Considering the effect of boundary layer, the grid is
encrypted near the sonar wall. Also considering that we only concern the sonar internal flow field, so the
inside of the sonar is fine and the outside of the sonar is thicker. In order to prevent the flow velocity is
parallel to the border from Producing flux error, the regional free boundary has certain gradient. Grids
below figure 2.
Regional: In heart for the datum of impeller tracks round, front take 3.5 L, 7L take up behind, take
about 3L on each side.

1712

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

gy

a)former expansion typeb)back expansion typec)former-back expansion type

d)former-back expansion streamline type

e)former-back inner concaveexpansion streamline

type
Figure 1

The design of five domes

Numerical solution: Because of our research is low incompressible flow problem, Therefore, the
separation implicit solving format is used, Pressure velocity coupling is used SIMPLE algorithm,
discretization is used second-order accuracy.

Figure 2

The grid of former-back expansion type

4. Result And Analysis


Dimensionless coefficients are defined as follows
Velocity ratio.

KV
Flow ratio

Vave

V1

(1)

1713

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

KQ
Area ratio

KS

Q

Q0

(2)

D1 D2
(3)
D0

In the last equation, Vave -average velocity when fluid flow through the minimum Cross Section;

Vave -stream speed; Q -actual mass flow when fluid flow through dome; Q0 UV1 D0 H D0 -dome
width at the minimum cross section; H=1; D1 , D2 -dome width of the entrance and exit.
From contours of static pressure it can be seen that, near the front point of dome entrance, the velocity
rapidly declines. And velocity stagnation point can be seen. These phenomena are caused by that dome
wall obstructs flow. Near dome wall, because of boundary layer, the flow velocity rapidly declines to zero.
At main flow area, except which is near boundary layer of dome wall, of dome minimum cross-section,
the flow velocity gradually increases along the radial direction to wall. And the elsewhere flow velocity
appears central axis symmetric distribution. In general, the velocity distribution gradually becomes big
from the dome entrance to the exit. From figure of stream function it can be seen that fluid flow stability
near impeller placed.
It can be seen from contours of static pressure, dome also appeared a high pressure tip protrusion area
at the front edge point of the entrance, corresponds exactly zero velocity near the stagnation point in
Figure 4, where the maximum static pressure. The static pressure in the direction to the export of
minimum section of the dome gradually decreases and the formats pressure, resulting suction effect. The
impact of the boundary layer near the wall makes the flow of large energy loss, leads negative pressure,
and loss along the main area is small, so the total pressure decreases along the radial direction towards the
wall. It can be seen by the speed of cloud, the main radial velocity distribution area increases along
towards the wall, so the dynamic pressure is also the same trend.

Figure 3

Contours of velocity magnitude of model C (V1=1.0m/s)

Figure 3 Stream function figure of model C impeller placed

(V1=1.0m/s)

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

1714

1 .6 5

e
d
c
b
a

1 .6 0
1 .5 5
1 .5 0
1 .4 5
1 .4 0
0 .8 1 .0 1 .2 1 .4 1 .6 1 .8 2 .0 2 .2 2 .4 2 .6

9 PV

Figure 4 Contours of press model C ( V1 =1.0m/s)

Figure 5 Curve of five models

It can be seen from Figure 5 that as flow velocity increases as velocity ratio gradually increases. In the
same structure size, the gain of former-back expansion type dome is bigger than the gain of former and
back expansion type dome. The former-back expansion type dome is more effective. In theory, it is
smaller resistance, less energy consumption and more stable flow when fluid flows around streamline
body, so the gain of velocity ratio is very obvious. From the figure, it can be seen that gain relationship is
former-back inner concave expansion streamline type > former-back expansion streamline type >
former-back expansion type. After fluid flowing through streamline type dome, the velocity indeed
increases, and this is consistent with the theoretical analysis. When we add inner concave structure for
dome, the gain is more effective. In summary, it can be seen that five kinds of domes gain relationship is
former-back inner concave expansion streamline type > former-back expansion streamline type >
former-back expansion type> back expansion type > former expansion type. However, manufacturing
technology of former-back inner concave expansion streamline type dome is relatively complex and high
cost.
From figure 6 and figure 7, it can be seen that when

T1 equals T 2 , if L1 ( L2 ) increasing, the size of

dome entrance (exit) and the absolute flow through the dome minimum cross-section increase. Similarly,
from Figure 8 and Figure 9 it can be seen that when
increase with

L1 equals L2 , flow ratio and velocity ratio also

T1 and T 2 .

In summary, from figure 10 and figure 11 it can be seen that the dome velocity ratio increases with
area ratio. When area ratio increases, the dome improves obvious effect. And it helps to solve the problem
that tidal turbine doesnt easily start at low flow velocity.
.4

C -L 2
C -L 1
C

1 .9 5
1 .9 0
1 .8 5
1 .8 0
1 .7 5
1 .7 0
1 .6 5
1 .6 0 0 .8 1 .0 1 .2 1 .4 1 .6 1 .8 2 .0 2 .2 2 .4 2 .6

9 PV

Figure 6 kv and v1 with variant diffusers length

1 .5 8
C
C - T
1 .5 6
1 .5 4
C - T2
1 .5 2
1 .5 0
1 .4 8
1 .4 6
1 .4 4
1 .4 2
1 .4 0
1 .3 8
0 .8 1 .0 1 .2 1 .4 1 .6 1 .8 2 .0 2 .2 2 .4 2 .6

9 PV

Figure 7 kv and v1 with variant diffusers length

1715

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

1 .9 0

.9

.4

C -L 2
C -L 1
C

1 .8 5
1 .8 0
1 .7 5
1 .7 0
1 .6 5
1 .6 0
1 .5 5
1 .5 0
0 .8 1 .0 1 .2 1 .4 1 .6 1 .8 2 .0 2 .2 2 .4 2 .6

C
C - T
1 .6 5
1 .6 4
C - T
1 .6 3
1 .6 2
1 .6 1
1 .6 0
1 .5 9
1 .5 8
1 .5 7
1 .5 6
1 .5 5
1 .5 4
1 .5 3
1 .5 2
1 .5 1
1 .5 0
0 .8 1 .0 1 . 2 1 . 4 1 . 6 1 . 8 2 . 0 2 . 2 2 . 4 2 . 6

9 PV

9 PV

Figure 8 kQ and v1 with variant diffusers angle

Figure 9kQ and v1 with variant diffusers angle


2 .0

.9

1 .9 0
1 .8 5

.9

1 .9

1 .8 0

1 .8

1 .7 5

1 .7

1 .7 0

1 .6

1 .6 5
1 .6 0
1 .5 5

1 .5
1 .6

1 .8

2 .0

2 .2

2 .4

2 .6
D 1 /D 0

Figure 10 kv with the D1/D0 of the relationship

2 .2

2 .4

2 .6

2 .8

3 .0

3 .2

3 .4

''

Figure 11 kv with the D2/D0 of the relationship

5. Conclusion
We research five kinds of dome model and study numerical simulation. Models are able to enhance
average velocity, which is at the minimum cross-section, at different degree. By analyzing, it can be seen
that the order of velocity ratio is former-back inner concave expansion streamline type > former-back
expansion streamline type > former-back expansion type. However, manufacturing technology of
former-back inner concave expansion streamline type dome is relatively complex and high cost. By
studying the different size model, it can seen that the velocity, which is at the minimum cross-section, and
area ratio increase at same time.

References
[1]J. Van Zwieten, F.R. Driscoll, A. Leonessa and G. Deane. Design of a prototype ocean current turbine PartI-mathematical
modeling and dynamics simulation, Ocean Engineering, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online, vol.33, 2006, pp. 1485-1521.
[2]Fraenkel, P. L. Power from marine currents, Proc. Instn Mech.Engrs, Part A, vol.216, 2002, pp. 1-14.
[3]Su Jilan. Coastal Hydrology in China, BeiJin: Ocean Press, 2005.
[4]Fernando Ponta and Gautam Shanker Dutt. An improved vertical-axis water-current turbine incorporating a channeling
device, Renewable Energy, vol.20, 2000, pp. 223-241.
[5]Wen Wang-jian, Sun Ke, Jia Ruibo. The mathematic simulation of diffuser augmented wind turbine, Energy Technology,
vol.25,2004, pp. 185187.

1716

Hong-bo Lu et al. / Energy Procedia 17 (2012) 1710 1716

[6]PHILL IPS D G, AKEY A, FLAY R G J. Computational fluid dynamic and wind tunnel modeling of a diffuser augmented
wind turbine ,

Wind Engineering, vol.23,1999, pp. 7-13.

[7]Zhang Liang, Sun Ke, Luo Qingjie. Hydrodynamic design of diversion cover for a tidal stream hydro turbine,Journal of
Harbin Engineering University2007 , pp. 734-737.
[8]V. R. Klaptocz, G.W. Rawlings. Numerical and Experimental Investigation of a Ducted Vertical Axis Tidal Current
Turbine, Proceedings of the 7th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, EWTEC 2007, pp. 11-14.

You might also like