Last month, QED Naval carried out tests on its Subhub tidal turbine foundation structure at the new Flowave Ocean Test Facility in Edinburgh.
Flow tests at zero, 15 and 30 cross flow angles were conducted using perforated discs to generate the correct drag load of the turbines. The forces and moments in all 6 degrees of freedom were measured over a number of different tank speeds to extreme levels.
The extreme loading on the structure was measured using just waves and then waves and tide combined from all the points of the compass at intervals of 30 degrees.