Concept development for deployment of a modular, floating, tidal-stream device

Abstract

The Modular Tide Generators (MTG) project is now in its second phase; the present design concept has been completed including structural, hydrostatic and basic hydrodynamic modelling; a series of scale-model experiments are being undertaken to validate a fully-nonlinear numerical tool and confirm the design assumptions. Flume tests are used to calibrate a 1:25 scale turbine model (porous disc), and basin tests are used to model the complete system, including: freely, floating, twin-hulled structure; 4-point mooring system, and submerged turbine model, at 1:12 scale. Moorings loads, thrust on the turbine and 6DoF motions of the platform are recorded over a range of wave and current conditions based on two proposed deployment sites at Carrick roads on the Truro River, UK. Initial observations confirm the assumptions made in the design as well as the predictive capability of the numerical tool.