Tidal Generation Limited (TGL) a wholly owned subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Plc has developed a tidal turbine and associated installation, deployment and maintenance methodologies. The turbine power-train comprises an axial flow, variable pitch, variable speed, three bladed rotor coupled to a gearbox and induction generator.
The tidal turbine and its tripod foundation were extensively tested in one of MARINTEK’s towing tanks to investigate their hydrodynamic performance including interaction between rotor and foundation. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), an advanced laser flow measurement technique was applied to document the detailed flow around and in the stream of the tidal turbine at various operating conditions. At the same time, rotor torque and total thrust of the installation were measured. These model tests provide detailed data for validation of numerical models for design and analysis of tidal turbines.
