Abstract
This paper investigates the sensitivity of width proximity and mesh grid size to the wake characteristics of Momentum Reversal Lift (MRL) turbine using a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based Immersed Body Force (IBF) model. This model has been added as a source term into the large eddy simulation (LES), which is developed for solving two phase fluids. The open source CFD code OpenFOAM was used for the simulations. The simulation results showed that the grid size and width proximity have had massive impact on the flow characteristics and the computational cost of the tidal turbine. A fine grid size and large width inflicted longer computational time. In contrast, a coarse grid size and small width reduced the computational time but showed poor description of the flow features. In addition, a close proximity of the domain’s wall boundary to the turbine affected the free surface, the air body, and the flow characteristics at the interface between the two phases. These results showed that careful investigation of a suitable grid size and spacing between the wall boundary and the turbine is important to minimise the effect of these parameters on the simulation results.
Highlights
The interest of exploiting tidal energy using tidal stream devices has been growing rapidly recently
This paper investigates the sensitivity of width proximity and mesh grid size to the wake characteristics of Momentum Reversal Lift (MRL) turbine using a new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based Immersed Body Force (IBF) model
The simulation results showed that the grid size and width proximity have had massive impact on the flow characteristics and the computational cost of the tidal turbine
Summary
The interest of exploiting tidal energy using tidal stream devices has been growing rapidly recently. The IBF model has been used to investigate the surface deformation, wake recovery and turbine to turbine interactions and other related issues by the same authors [9] and showed better capability of simulating tidal turbines compared to the actuator disc method. This model has been successfully validated with experimental results carried out to calibrate the energy extraction by the MRL turbine, which is currently under-review for publication. The results will provide the required knowledge on the capability of the IBF model in examining the flow features and other associated parameters and strengthen the confidence to use this model for the study of other turbine technologies, such as wind turbines
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
