A contra-rotating marine current turbine on a flexible mooring : development of a scaled prototype

Clarke, Joe and Connor, Gary and Grant, Andrew and Johnstone, Cameron and Ordonez Sanchez, Stephanie (2008) A contra-rotating marine current turbine on a flexible mooring : development of a scaled prototype. In: 2nd International Conference on Ocean Energy, 2008-10-15 - 2008-10-17.

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Abstract

The contra-rotating marine current turbine concept developed by the Energy Systems Research Unit at the University of Strathclyde is aimed at extracting energy in a wide range of water depths by 'flying' a neutrally-buoyant device from a flexible, tensioned mooring. After successful proof of concept turbine trials, the development programme has moved on to investigate the performance of a scaled prototype of the complete system incorporating the turbine, submersible contra-rotating generator and mooring. The turbine/generator assembly has been tested in a towing tank, and the entire system is now undergoing sea trials. An investigation into turbine wake development (an area in which it is hoped that the contra-rotating turbine will have uniquely beneficial properties) has recently begun. Small single-rotor model turbines have been deployed in a flume. Trends observed so far are in accordance with those observed by other researchers.

ORCID iDs

Clarke, Joe ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4783-5107, Connor, Gary, Grant, Andrew, Johnstone, Cameron ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5171-1230 and Ordonez Sanchez, Stephanie ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7253-6299;