Investigating Tidal Stream Turbine Array Performance Considering Effects of Number of Turbines, Array Layouts, and Yaw Angles

Abstract

The performance of a tidal stream turbine array can be affected by numerous factors. Investigating the connection between array power production and these factors will be helpful in improving the development of tidal stream energy. This study investigates the impact of array layout, turbine number, and yaw angles on turbine array performance using an open-source coastal ocean modelling system. The results show that the total power output of the turbine array rises with the number of turbines. Under realistic conditions, there are not many differences in power output between aligned and staggered turbine array configurations. By extending the distance between the turbines, the array power output can be improved in both layouts. It appears that considering each turbine’s yaw angle can improve array power generation, since the downstream turbines will greatly benefit from the steering wake of the upstream turbines. Furthermore, using a gradient-based optimization algorithm to simultaneously adjust the yaw angles and turbine positions will boost the turbine array’s efficiency more than just optimizing the turbine position alone.

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