Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes investigation of free surface wave impact on tidal turbine wake

Abstract

Tidal current is a promising renewable energy source. Previous studies have investigated the influence of surface waves on tidal turbines in many aspects. However, the turbine wake development in a surface wave environment, which is crucial for power extraction in a turbine array, remains elusive. In this study, we focus on the wake evolution behind a single turbine and its interaction with surface waves. A numerical solver is developed to study the effects of surface waves on an industrial-size turbine. A case without surface wave and two cases with waves and different rotor depths are investigated. We obtain three-dimensional flow field descriptions near the free surface, around the rotor, and in the near- and far-wake. In a comparative analysis, the time-averaged and instantaneous flow fields are examined for various flow characteristics, including momentum restoration, power output, free surface elevation and vorticity dynamics. A model reduction technique is employed to identify the coherent flow structures and investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of the wave–wake interactions. The results indicate the effect of surface waves in augmenting wake restoration and reveal the interactions between the surface waves and the wake structure, through a series of dynamic processes and the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability.