The project
A key problem with predicting tidal turbine lifespan is a lack of data on the unsteady flow conditions at tidal sites. This lack of data causes inaccurate calculations of the lifespan of tidal turbines and drives up the cost of tidal power generation. A prototype probe has been designed which can capture small fluctuations in the flow despite the high hydrostatic pressure when the probe is at depth. This project will develop the probe from a laboratory prototype and prove its operation in marine environments – paving the way for cheap, detailed site surveys, and better predictions of turbine lifespan.
Dr Anna Young - Principal Investigator
Dr Anna Young is a Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath. Dr Anna Young's research uses experimental and analytical techniques to give physical understanding and to inform low-order models of unsteady flow. This is of particular importance to engineers designing new technologies where the unsteady component of the flow is substantial, e.g. tidal turbines and urban air taxis. In these cases, resolving the full unsteady flowfield using Computational Fluid Dynamics is prohibitively expensive. Neglecting unsteady effects in these scenarios and computing the time-average will lead to inaccurate design calculations. Using experiments to inform low-order models, however, enables accurate, low-cost design calculations.
On-demand video: Supergen ORE Hub Annual Assembly 2022
Dr Anna Young - Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath
