Oscillating-Foils Hydrokinetic Turbines: Configuration, Operation and Deployment Optimizations through CFD

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In the booming sector of tidal and hydrokinetic energy, Canada is playing a leading role with its demonstrator and technology incubator test sites. It is also quite active in the development and design of innovative hydrokinetic turbine concepts among which the Oscillating-Wings Turbine (OWT) technology is quite promising. Better adapted to shallow water sites than most other technologies, it offers high energy extraction efficiency while using very simple untwisted rectangular hydrofoils. In tandem or parallel configurations, the hydrofoils are made to oscillate up and down in a vertical plane when submerged in a water current.This research program is based on computational fluid dynamic (CFD) studies and involves six specific projects. It takes great advantage of the supercomputer infrastructures of Compute Canada and aims to provide essential hydrodynamic data in support of the OWT technology. Efficiency optimization of the turbine design and of its operating parameters is sought as well as proper hydrodynamic guidelines for its efficient deployment. This includes the important effects of perturbed, real water flow conditions and free-surface effects one might expect in rivers and in tidal estuaries. Hydrodynamic issues related to the deployment of multi-units arrays are also addressed such as turbines interference and blockage effects. At least 6 graduate students will be trained and contribute to this research as well as 5 undergraduate research assistants. Making OWTs and their exploitation more efficient makes this energy source more attractive from an economical point of view. Doing so, this research thus promotes the growth of a new sustainable, eco-friendly energy production source for Canada and the emergence of an innovative technology with great export potential.