Predictions of the Hydrodynamic Performance of Horizontal Axis Marine Current Turbines Using a Panel Method Program

Abstract

The marine current turbine is the mechanical device that captures the kinetic energy of marine current to generate electrical power. This paper presents the application of an academic panel code based on potential flow theory for the analysis of marine current turbines. The aim of this work is also to analyze the effect of the addition of a duct on the hydrodynamic performance of the turbine. The numerical results show that the addition of duct improves significantly the efficiency of the turbine.