Collaborative project TiME has produced a guide that provides a framework for the tidal industry to measure, classify and analyse turbulence for commercial tidal arrays.
The principle outcome of the TiME project include the development of new methods to measure and characterise turbulence.
According to ABPmer, the data from these new methods were then used to show that designing tidal turbines and array layouts to the true turbulence existing at different points in a site could lead to significant cost reductions.
TiME project involved the collaboration between Partrac, Ocean Array Systems, ABPmer, and IT Power.
Comprehensive turbulence measurement surveys were undertaken by Partrac in tidal environments of Sound of Islay and the Inner Sound, Pentland Firth, Scotland, using novel methods and technologies so that each can be evaluated, and turbulence could be mapped across differing tidal energy development sites.
ABPmer then incorporated the data in resource characterisation, Ocean Array Systems provided turbulence characterisation and hydrodynamic analyses, and IT Power contributed their knowledge of engineering design, device performance and tidal turbine array modelling.
Sam Athey , a Director and co-owner at Partrac, said: “The project team has developed Guidance that provides a framework for the tidal industry to measure, classify and analyse turbulence for commercial tidal arrays.”
Guy Henley , Project Manager of the MRCF at the Carbon Trust, said: “The Guidance formulated by the project team is comprehensive and provides a solid understanding of the impact of turbulence on tidal arrays, which is a critical aspect of realising commercial scale tidal arrays. We are confident the industry will find it invaluable for their developments.”
Full details are in the Guidance documents, which can be obtained at Ocean Array System’s website , and will also be submitted to the wave and tidal knowledge network, a platform hosted by the ORE Catapult.
The project is funded by the Scottish Government and managed by the Carbon Trust through the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) Array Technology Innovation Programme.
Partrac is a marine data acquisition company specialising in oceanographic, environmental and marine geosciences surveys.
ABPmer is a marine environmental consultancy that assists public and private sector organisations with the management and use of large marine data sets to support decision-making.
Ocean Array Systems is an innovative software business with expertise in turbulence and simulation.
IT Power is a renewable energy consultancy focused on technology development, engineering and project advisory.
Image: Partac/Illustration