Performance Analysis of Tidal Turbine with Downstream Bodies through CFD Simulations 

This study investigates the performance of tidal turbines with downstream Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis (CRO) module through Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulations. Mesh independence study is conducted with mesh sizes of 6 million (6M), 10 million (10M), and 17 million (17M) cells by comparing the power coefficient (Cp) and thrust coefficient (Ct) of the turbine. The difference in Cp and Ct  between the 6M and 17M cases is approximately 3%, while the difference between the 10M and 17M cases is around 1%, leading to the selection of the 10M mesh for further simulations. The simulations employing the k-ω SST turbulence model are validated against laboratory experiments (1:20 scale) without the CRO module downstream. The same mathematical and numerical models are adopted for the full-scale tidal turbine simulations. The study explores the influence of the CRO module's diameter, varying between 0.1Dt and 0.5Dt (where Dt is the turbine diameter of 5.5 meters), and the module’s axial position from the rotor, ranging between 0.25Dt and 1Dt. This comprehensive analysis aims to enhance the understanding of the interactions between tidal turbines and downstream flow modifications, contributing to the shape and position optimization of downstream objects.

*This research is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Water Power Technologies Office Award Number DE-0010984. This work utilized the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS, formerly XSEDE) clusters, under grant number EES220064. Specifically, it employed the Bridges2 system at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Related publications and conference/poster presentations for details:

1. Turkyilmaz, A., Prince, H.A., Usta, M., Banerjee, A. and Daskiran, C., 2025. Hydrodynamic impact of a downstream body on tidal turbine performance. Renewable Energy (In review).

2. Turkyilmaz, A., Prince, H.A., Usta, M., Banerjee, A. and Daskiran, C., 2025. Shape Optimization of a Cylindrical Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis Module within a Turbine Wake. American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), Washington, DC (Accepted for presentation).

3. Baker M., Turkyilmaz, A., Prince, H.A., and Daskiran, C., 2025. Evaluating Turbulence Models for the Actuator Disk Approach at Optimal Turbine Efficiency. American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), Washington, DC (Accepted for presentation).

4. Turkyilmaz, A., Prince, H.A., Usta, M., Banerjee, A. and Daskiran, C., 2024. Impact of Downstream Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis Module on Tidal Turbine Performance. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT.

5. Turkyilmaz, A., Prince, H.A., Usta, M. and Daskiran, C., 2024. Large Eddy Simulations of Tidal Turbine: Turbulence Resolution Analysis. ME Graduate Student Symposium at Binghamton University (Poster).

6. Prince, H.A., Turkyilmaz, A., Daskiran, C., Usta, M. and Banerjee, A., 2024. Hydrodynamic Effects on Tidal Turbine Performance in Proximity to a Downstream Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis Module. American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE), Corvallis, OR.

7. Prince, H.A., Turkyilmaz, A., Daskiran, C., Usta, M. and Banerjee, A., 2023. Near-Wake Interaction of a Tidal Turbine with an Integrated Downstream Centrifugal Reverse Osmosis Module. Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Washington, DC.