The hydrodynamic analysis of a vertical axis tidal current turbine

Tidal currents can be used as a predictable source of sustainable energy, and have the potential to make a useful contribution to the energy needs of the UK and other countries with such a resource.
One of the technologies which may be used to transform tidal power into mechanical power is a vertical axis turbine, the hydrodynamic analysis of which this thesis is concerned with. The aim of this analysis is to gain a better understanding of the power transformation process, from which position there is the possibility of improving the conversion efficiency. A second aim is to compare the results from different modelling approaches.
The comparison of the results from the two different turbine modelling approaches shows that when the present CFD hydrofoil results are used as input to the blade element model, and when dynamic effects are small and the turbine induction factor is low, there is generally good agreement between the two models.