Passive pitch blade systems research and lab testing for reducing loads on tidal turbines

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At the current state-of-the-art, the levelised cost of energy generated by tidal turbines is too high for such technologies to be commercially viable, despite the fact that tidal currents offer a predictable and sustainable source of energy. For turbines that have variable blade pitch, the active control system and mechanical actuators have been found to be major sources of failure and therefore increase operating costs. Constant blade pitch turbines, however, experience high torque and thrust loads above rated speed, and therefore have low cut-out speeds, resulting in lower energy yields. Passive blade pitch control offers the potential to reduce the LCOE by increasing the cut-out speed, and therefore yield, without causing major reliability issues. Research has shown that bend-twist coupling has the potential to provide a limited degree of passive blade pitching for tidal turbines. Literature has been published regarding the development of passive pitch mechanisms for wind turbines, and modelling has been undertaken to demonstrate the benefits of implementing passive blade pitching for tidal turbines. The novelty of this project lies in seeking to develop and implement a passive pitching system for a commercial tidal turbine.