潮流发电水轮机基于动量定理的性能计算方法研究

以潮流发电水轮机的设计为研究背景,分析和总结了基于动量定理方法的四种流管模型(单盘面-单流管模型、双盘面-单流管模型、单盘面-多流管模型和双盘面-多流管模型)在竖轴变攻角水轮机的水动力性能计算中的应用,特别是能量利用率预报方面的应用。说明基于动量定理的模型在求竖轴变攻角潮流发电水轮机的水动力性能方面,能够预报一些定性特性和总体趋势,为水轮机的设计和计算提供一种初步方法。     

Experimental Study on New Multi-Column Tension-Leg-Type Floating Wind Turbine

Deep-water regions often have winds favorable for offshore wind turbines, and floating turbines currently show the greatest potential to exploit such winds. This work established proper scaling laws for model tests, which were then implemented in the construction of a model wind turbine with optimally designed blades. The aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, and elastic characteristics of the proposed new multi-column tension-leg-type floating wind turbine (WindStar TLP system) were explored in the wave tank testing of a 1:50 scale model at the State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Tests were conducted under conditions of still water, white noise waves, irregular waves, and combined wind, wave, and current loads. The results established the natural periods of the motion, damping, motion response amplitude operators, and tendon tensions of the WindStar TLP system under different environmental conditions, and thus could serve as a reference for further research.     

潮流能发电装置支撑结构对水轮机水动力学性能影响研究

水平轴潮流能水轮机在工作过程中,由于支撑结构的存在,会使水轮机周围流场中的潮流流向、流速等参数发生不同程度的改变,进而影响水轮机的性能和发电装置的稳定性。为了研究支撑结构对水轮机水动力学性能的影响规律,以某100 k W单立柱座底式潮流能发电装置的支撑结构为研究对象,采用CFD方法,分别在正、反向来流时采用不同支撑结构的共六种工况下,对潮流能水轮机模型的获能和受力进行数值模拟。通过水槽模型试验,验证数值模拟的可靠性。研究结果表明:支撑结构对水轮机的水动力学性能的影响不容忽视,针对所研究的支撑结构,在正向来流时水轮机的获能系数降幅约30%,轴向力系数降幅约28%;反向来流时的降幅更大,分别约为63%和41%。     

Experimental Study on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Vertical-Axis Floating Tidal Current Energy Power Generation Device

To study the characteristics of attenuation, hydrostatic towage and wave response of the vertical-axis floating tidal current energy power generation device (VAFTCEPGD), a prototype is designed and experiment is carried out in the towing tank. Free decay is conducted to obtain attenuation characteristics of the VAFTCEPGD, and characteristics of mooring forces and motion response, floating condition, especially the lateral displacement of the VAFTCEPGD are obtained from the towing in still water. Tension response of the #1 mooring line and vibration characteristics of the VAFTCEPGD in regular waves as well as in level 4 irregular wave sea state with the current velocity of 0.6 m/s. The results can be reference for theoretical study and engineering applications related to VAFTCEPGD.     

Modeling of twin-turbine systems with vertical axis tidal current turbine: Part II—torque fluctuation

We recently showed the advantage of using a numerical system to extract energy from tidal currents by developing a new twin-turbine model (Li and Calisal, 2010a). Encouraged by this result, we decided to use this model to study another important characteristic of the turbine system, torque fluctuation. This effort is summarized in this paper. The torque fluctuation is expected to reduce the fatigue life of tidal current turbines, though potentially it also may deteriorate the power quality of tidal current turbines. In this paper, after reviewing the twin-turbine model, we use it to predict the torque fluctuation of the system with the same configurations as we used to study the power output in Li and Calisal (2010a). Specifically, we investigate the torque fluctuation of twin-turbine systems with various turbine parameters (e.g., relative distance between two turbines and incoming flow angle) and operational condition (e.g., tip speed ratio). The results suggest that the torque of an optimally configured twin-turbine system fluctuates much less than that of the corresponding stand-alone turbine, under the same operating conditions. We then extensively compare the hydrodynamic interaction’s impact on the torque fluctuation and the power output of the system. We conclude that the hydrodynamic interactions pose more constructive impacts on the torque fluctuation than on the power output. The findings indicate that the optimally configured counter-rotating system should be a side-by-side system, and that the optimally configured co-rotating system should have the downstream turbine partially in the wake of the upstream turbine depending on the detailed configuration of the turbines. Furthermore, one must balance the optimal torque fluctuation against the optimal power output.     

Efficiency of OWC wave energy converters: A virtual laboratory

The performance of an oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy converter depends on many factors, such as the wave conditions, the tidal level and the coupling between the chamber and the air turbine. So far most studies have focused on either the chamber or the turbine, and in some cases the influence of the tidal level has not been dealt with properly. In this work a novel approach is presented that takes into account all these factors. Its objective is to develop a virtual laboratory which enables to determine the pneumatic efficiency of a given OWC working under specific conditions of incident waves (wave height and period), tidal level and turbine damping. The pneumatic efficiency, or efficiency of the OWC chamber, is quantified by means of the capture factor, i.e. the ratio between the absorbed pneumatic power and the available wave energy. The approach is based on artificial intelligence—in particular, artificial neural networks (ANNs). The neural network architecture is chosen through a comparative study involving 18 options. The ANN model is trained and, eventually, validated based on an extensive campaign of physical model tests carried out under different wave conditions, tidal levels and values of the damping coefficient, representing turbines of different specifications. The results show excellent agreement between the ANN model and the experimental campaign. In conclusion, the new model constitutes a virtual laboratory that enables to determine the capture factor of an OWC under given wave conditions, tidal levels and values of turbine damping, at a lower cost and in less time than would be required for conventional laboratory tests.     

Experiment Study of Dynamics Response for Wind Turbine System of Floating Foundation

The floating foundation is designed to support a 1.5 MW wind turbine in 30 m water depth. With consideration of the viscous damping of foundation and heave plates, the amplitude-frequency response characteristics of the foundation are studied. By taking into account the elastic effect of blades and tower, the classic quasi-steady blade-element/momentum (BEM) theory is used to calculate the aerodynamic elastic loads. A coupled dynamic model of the turbine-foundation- mooring lines is established to calculate the motion response of floating foundation under Kaimal wind spectrum and regular wave by using the FAST codes. The model experiment is carried out to test damping characteristics and natural motion behaviors of the wind turbine system. The dynamics response is tested by considering only waves and the joint action of wind and waves. It is shown that the wind turbine system can avoid resonances under the action of wind and waves. In addition, the heave motion of the floating foundation is induced by waves and the surge motion is induced by wind. The action of wind and waves is of significance for pitch.     

Study on Gyroscopic Effect of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Compared with bottom-fixed wind turbines,the supporting platform of a floating offshore wind turbine has a larger range of motion,so the gyroscopic effects of the system will be more obvious.In this paper,the mathematical analytic expression of the gyroscopic moment of a floating offshore wind turbine is derived firstly.Then,FAST software is utilized to perform a numerical analysis on the model of a spar-type horizontal axis floating offshore wind turbine,OC3-Hywind,so as to verify the correctness of the theoretical analytical formula and take an investigation on the characteristics of gyroscopic effect.It is found that the gyroscopic moment of the horizontal axis floating offshore wind turbine is essentially caused by the vector change of the rotating rotor,which may be due to the pitch or yaw motion of the floating platform or the yawing motion of the nacelle.When the rotor is rotating,the pitch motion of the platform mainly excites the gyroscopic moment in the rotor’s yaw direction,and the yaw motion of the platform largely excites the rotor’s gyroscopic moment in pitch direction,accordingly.The results show that the gyroscopic moment of the FOWT is roughly linearly related to the rotor’s inertia,the rotor speed,and the angular velocity of the platform motion.     

浮式风力机若干特征动力学问题综述

总结浮式风力机类型及其对应的特征动力学问题,针对浮式风力机气动荷载、水动荷载的计算方法以及结构动力学、控制动力学典型问题进行论述。讨论了气动—水动—结构—伺服耦合分析的难点,重点分析了二阶波浪力、畸形波等非线性波浪荷载、流荷载及涡激运动对浮式风力机特征动力响应的影响。阐述了浮式风力机动力学研究的试验方法、数值仿真方法、样机测试方法,并对模型试验技术的相似理论、气动模型的实现和难点以及数值仿真的频域方法、时域方法和分析工具进行了归纳对比。研究表明：浮式风力机多场、多体耦合动力分析机理及相关技术仍不成熟,气动荷载、高阶非线性波浪荷载耦合模型的建立是动力学问题研究的重点,数值仿真及模型试验是浮式风力机动力响应研究的主要方法,样机测试技术的积累将促进设计标准的完善及浮式风电的产业化发展。     

水平轴潮流能叶轮尖速比特性分析研究

针对设计尖速比对水平轴潮流能叶轮动力特性的影响问题开展研究工作。基于叶素-动量理论建立叶轮动力特性仿真模型,以叶片数量分别为2、3、4的叶轮为对象,考察设计尖速比对叶轮的功率系数的影响。研究结果表明:设计尖速比越大的叶轮,其最大效率也越高;叶片数量多的叶轮,其功率系数略优于叶片数量少的叶片。结合分析结果,给出了水平轴潮流能叶轮的设计尖速比的选择建议。     

Design and Test of 1/5th Scale Horizontal Axis Tidal Current Turbine

Tidal current energy is prominent and renewable. Great progress has been made in the exploitation technology of tidal current energy all over the world in recent years, and the large scale device has become the trend of tidal current turbine (TCT) for its economies. Instead of the similarity to the wind turbine, the tidal turbine has the characteristics of high hydrodynamic efficiency, big thrust, reliable sealing system, tight power transmission structure, etc. In this paper, a 1/5th scale horizontal axis tidal current turbine has been designed, manufactured and tested before the full scale device design. Firstly, the three-blade horizontal axis rotor was designed based on traditional blade element momentum theory and its hydrodynamic performance was predicted in numerical model. Then the power train system and stand-alone electrical control unit of tidal current turbine, whose performances were accessed through the bench test carried out in workshop, were designed and presented. Finally, offshore tests were carried out and the power performance of the rotor was obtained and compared with the published literatures, and the results showed that the power coefficient was satisfactory, which agrees with the theoretical predictions.     

Modeling of twin-turbine systems with vertical axis tidal current turbines: Part I—Power output

Recent interest in the tidal current industry has driven development of the prototype from the stand-alone turbine to the twin-turbine system. In this paper, we develop a numerical model to systematically analyze the relationship between the power output and the configuration of a twin-turbine system. First, we present the design principle of the twin-turbine system. We then develop the numerical model for simulating the operation of the system, and validate the model by conducting towing tank experimental tests. We then use the model to predict the power output of the system. The results of this study show that the total power output of a twin-turbine system with optimal layout can be about 25% higher than two times that of a stand-alone turbine. We also discuss the hydrodynamic interaction between the two turbines under different configurations of the system. We conclude that the optimally configured counter-rotating system should be a side-by-side system, and that the optimally configured co-rotating system should have the downstream turbine partially in the wake of the upstream turbine, depending on the detailed configuration of the turbine.     

Research on the unsteady hydrodynamic characteristics of vertical axis tidal turbine

The unsteady hydrodynamic characteristics of vertical axis tidal turbine are investigated by numerical simulation based on viscous CFD method. The starting mechanism of the turbine is revealed through analyzing the interaction of its motion and dynamics during starting process. The operating hydrodynamic characteristics of the turbine in wave-current condition are also explored by combining with the linear wave theory. According to possible magnification of the cyclic loads in the maximum power tracking control of vertical axis turbine, a novel torque control strategy is put forward, which can improve the structural characteristics significantly without effecting energy efficiency.     

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of A Vertical-Axis Eccentric-disc Variable-Pitch Turbine(VEVT)

A combined experimental and numerical investigation is carried out to study the performance of a vertical-axis eccentric-disc variable-pitch turbine(VEVT). A scheme of eccentric disc pitch control mechanism based on doubleblock mechanism is proposed. The eccentric control mechanism and the deflection angle control mechanism in the pitch control structure are designed and optimized according to the functional requirements of the turbine, and the three-dimensional model of the turbine is established. Kinematics analysis of the eccentric disc pitch control mechanism is carried out. Kinematics parameters and kinematics equations which can characterize its motion characteristics are derived. Kinematics analysis and simulation are carried out, and the motion law of the corresponding mechanical system is obtained. By analyzing the force and motion of blade of VEVT, the expressions of the important parameters such as deflection angle, attack angle and energy utilization coefficient are obtained. The lateral induced velocity coefficient is acquired by momentum theorem, the hydrodynamic parameters such as energy utilization coefficient are derived, and the hydrodynamic characteristics of VEVT are also obtained. The experimental results show that the turbine has good energy capture capability at different inflow velocities of different sizes and directions, which verifies that VEVT has good self-startup performance and high energy capture efficiency.     

The effects of blade twist and nacelle shape on the performance of horizontal axis tidal current turbines

The paper presents the effects of blade twist and nacelle shape on the performance of horizontal axis tidal current turbines using both analytical and numerical methods. Firstly, in the hydrodynamic design procedure, the optimal profiles of untwisted and twisted blades and their predicted theoretical turbine performance are obtained using the genetic algorithm method. Although both blade profiles produce desired rated rotational speed, the twisted blade achieves higher power and thrust performance. Secondly, numerical simulation is performed using sliding mesh technique to mimic rotating turbine in ANSYS FLUENT to validate the analytical results. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approximation of the turbulence parameters is applied to obtain the flow field around the turbine. It is found that power and axial thrust force from BEMT (Blade Element Momentum Theory) method are under-predicted by 2% and 8% respectively, compared with numerical results. Afterwards, the downstream wake field of the turbine is investigated with two different nacelle shapes. It is found that the rotor performance is not significantly affected by the different nacelle shapes. However, the structural turbulence caused by the conventional nacelle is stronger than that by the NACA-profiled shape, and the former can cause detrimental effect on the performance of the downstream turbines in tidal farms.     

Experimentally validated numerical method for the hydrodynamic design of horizontal axis tidal turbines

Although a lot can be learnt from technology transfer from wind turbines and ship propellers, there have been a few experiments investigating marine current turbines. As a result, a study has been carried out on the power, thrust and cavitation characteristics of 1/20th scale model of a possible 16 m diameter horizontal axis tidal turbine. Cavitation tunnel experiments for different blade pitch settings have been compared with simulations based on a developed blade element-momentum theory. This theory has been shown to provide a satisfactory representation of the experimental turbine performance characteristics. As an example application, the developed theory has been used to design possible horizontal axis tidal turbines for the tidal flows around Portland Bill. The results show that there is a clear balance between design loads and optimisation of energy yields.     

Hydrodynamic performance of solid and porous heave plates

Heave plates have been widely utilized in floating offshore structures as they can provide additional damping and added mass to improve the hydrodynamic response of the system. This study investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics (added mass and damping) of oscillatory solid or porous disks using model scale experiments. All experiments were conducted via forced oscillation model tests using a planar motion mechanism (PMM). The hydrodynamic coefficients of the solid or porous disk obtained from the force measurements are analysed and presented. The sensitivities of the damping and added mass coefficients to both motion amplitude and the disk porosity are examined.     

考虑发电机尾流作用的潮流能理论可开发量的评估

In this study, we construct one 2–dimensional tidal simulation, using an unstructured Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model(FVCOM). In the 2–D model, we simulated the tidal turbines through adding additional bottom drag in the element where the tidal turbines reside. The additional bottom drag was calculated from the relationship of the bottom friction dissipation and the rated rotor efficiency of the tidal energy turbine. This study analyzed the effect of the tidal energy turbine to the hydrodynamic environment, and calculated the amount of the extractable tidal energy resource at the Guishan Hangmen Channel, considering the rotor wake effect.     

Approximation to the hydrodynamics of floating pontoons under oblique waves

The hydrodynamic properties of long rigid floating pontoon interacting with linear oblique waves in water of finite arbitrary depth are examined theoretically. The flow is idealized as linearized, velocity potentials are expressed in the form of eigen-function expansions with unknown coefficients. The fluid domain is split into three regions, region (1) wave-ward of the structure, region (2) in the lee of the structure, and region (3) beneath the structure. The different hydrodynamic quantities of interest such as the exciting forces, added mass and damping coefficients, reflection and transmission coefficients were studied for an applicable range of wave/structure parameters. Assuming rigid body motions, dynamic responses of the moored structure is approximately calculated through three equations of motion. Floating pontoons proved to be a convenient alternative for protection from waves in shallow water. The present method of solution was found to be computationally efficient, and results are comparable to those obtained through other techniques.     

Effect of mooring-line stiffness on the performance of a dual coaxial-cylinder Wave-Energy Converter

A point-absorber-type Wave-Energy Converter (WEC) consisting of a floating vertical inner cylinder and an annular outer cylinder that slides along the inner one is considered. The two cylinders heave differently under wave excitation, and wave energy can be harnessed from the relative heave motion between the two cylinders using a Permanent Magnet Linear Generator (PMLG) as the Power Take-Off unit. A mooring cable is attached to the bottom of the inner cylinder. This paper aims to examine the effect of the stiffness of the mooring cable on the performance of the coaxial-cylinder WEC system. The two limiting cases of no mooring cable (freely floating inner and outer cylinders) and an infinitely stiff mooring cable (fixed inner cylinder) were also considered. To perform the analysis, hydrodynamic and interference coefficients of the two heaving cylinders were computed semi-analytically using the method of matched eigenfunction expansions. Experimentally determined viscous corrections on damping were also included in the model in order to have more realistic predictions. The performance of the system in terms of motion responses and capture width were predicted and discussed for both regular and irregular waves. The results of the analysis indicate that both the freely floating design and the design with rigidly moored inner cylinder are viable. The two limiting cases show similar optimal performances, albeit with very different optimal generator damping. However, an ill-chosen mooring-cable stiffness may cause the inner and the outer cylinders to have the same resonance frequency, eliminating the relative heave motion and leading to almost no energy extraction. This situation needs to be avoided when designing the mooring system for a coaxial-cylinder WEC.