Establishing the performance implications of employing lower cost methods for the manufacture of large scale tidal turbine rotors (EPICTidal)

在目前的潮汐涡轮机设计中，转子叶片是成本较高的项目之一。该项目旨在评估采用创新、节省劳动力的机械化制造工艺制造大直径水平轴潮汐涡轮机（>15米）的性能影响，这可能会大幅降低其成本。目前的设计实践包括考虑潮汐涡轮机在基本上准稳态运行条件下的性能。然而，该领域的经验表明，在充满能量的潮汐位置，流中湍流的水平会对其性能产生负面影响。将研究在湍流潮汐环境中运行的叶片的低成本制造技术与耐受瞬态运行条件的简单设计相结合的可行性。该项目旨在确定在流线型结构中对理想基准设计进行的相应修改，以及这些修改的性能影响。这项工作将涉及理论和实验阶段，将由一个由叶片制造商和测试、设计和分析专家组成的实践团队进行。由Joao Amaral-Teixeira博士和Florent Trarieux博士组成的克兰菲尔德团队将对选定的拟议转子的性能进行评估。该项目将与位于南安普顿的领先复合材料叶片制造商Designcraft有限公司的创始人兼董事总经理Nick Barlow密切合作进行。该项目围绕四个阶段进行，包括审查当前的制造技术、选择新型叶片型面、使用叶片元件动量模型进行数值评估以及在三种不同尺寸的不断增加的水箱中进行最先进的水箱测试，水流驱动类型和湍流水平：克兰菲尔德拖曳水池、哈斯拉尔拖曳水池和布洛涅-苏尔-梅尔环流通道。

One of the costlier items in current tidal turbine designs is the rotor blades. This project aims to assess the performance implications of the adoption of innovative, labour-saving, mechanized manufacturing processes for large diameter horizontal axis tidal turbines (>15 m) which could effect a substantial reduction in their cost. Current design practice involves consideration of the performance of tidal turbines in essentially quasi-steady operating conditions. The experience in the field, however, points to the fact that in energetic tidal locations the levels of in-stream turbulence are such as to impact negatively on their performance. The feasibility of combining lower cost manufacturing techniques for blades operating in turbulent tidal environments, with simpler designs which are tolerant of the transient operational conditions will be examined. The project seeks to establish what attendant modifications to an ideal datum design are involved in the streamlined construction and what are the performance implications of such modifications. The work will involve theoretical and experimental phases and will be carried out by a practised team of blade manufacturers and testing, design and analysis specialistsThe team in Cranfield composed of Dr Joao Amaral-Teixeira and Dr Florent Trarieux will undertake the assessment of the performance of a selection of proposed rotors. This project will be undertaken in close collaboration with Nick Barlow, Founder and Managing Director of Southampton based leading composite blade manufacturer, Designcraft Ltd. The project is articulated around four phases of review of current manufacturing techniques, novel blade profile selection, numerical assessment using Blade Element Momentum models and state-of-the-art tank tests in three different tanks of increasing size, flow actuation type and turbulence levels: Cranfield Towing Tank, Haslar Towing Tank and Boulogne-sur-mer Circulation Channel.