Performance Assessment of a Vertical Kinetic Turbine in a Wake Zone

This internship will numerically simulate the impact of flow structures on power production from river kinetic turbines. These turbines extract renewable energy from rivers from flow velocity rather than from a drop in river levels. To date, a proper mathematical approach of how to place these turbines in a river is not available. Mathematic tools are required to estimate the power reduction when these turbines are subjected to large flow variations in river applications created by river bank profile changes, turbines located upstream, and due to localized changes in the river levels. To help achieve this objective, flow structures generated by cylinders located upstream of turbine blades will be numerically simulated; turbulence models will be used to predict the interaction between the flow structures and the turbine blades. The research will enhanced the ability of New Energy to better understand how to place kinetic turbines when deploying commercial turbines to generate renewable power in rivers.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Eric Bibeau

Student:

Amir Hossein Birjandi

Partner:

New Energy Corporation

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Alternative energy

University:

University of Manitoba