Development of the hanging type vertical axis tidal current turbine

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04599
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Naval and maritime engineering
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Akimoto Hiromichi 大阪大学, 工学研究科, 特任教授(常勤) (20283971)
• Research Collaborator: SENGA Hidetaka ; HARA Yutaka
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 潮流タービン / 海流タービン / 垂直軸型タービン / 吊り下げ型 / 傾斜 / 浮遊軸型潮流タービン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Conventional marine current turbines require submerged electro mechanics and a huge support structure to keep the device in the strong tidal current. They deteriorate the economic performance of the system.
To solve these problems, the author propose a vertical axis water turbine supported at the upper end of its rotational shaft. Its electro mechanics are installed above the water surface at the upper end of the shaft. The turbine tilts according to water current speed so that the support structure will be significantly reduced.
Feasibility study of the proposal was conducted by the methods of water tank test, sea trial and computational fluid dynamics. In a towing sea trial, the turbine output the design power though it was not continuous due to a failure of control system. Unfortunately, its mooring test was unsuccessful for the insufficient current speed of the site. However, the attempt provided know-hows of the remote control and measurement of the floating turbine system.

Free Research Field

船舶海洋工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

潮流タービンは、流れが速く漁業に不向きな場所に設置され、風車よりも小型で大出力の装置となる。また潮流の変化は規則的であるため、送電会社が接続拒否の理由とする不規則な出力変動を含まないため系統接続が容易である。
本研究は、この種の装置の経済性を飛躍的に高めるため、装置を単純化し、電気機械部を防水措置の要らない水面上に配置する、流れに応じて傾く事を許容して高コストな支持構造を減らす事を提案し、その実現可能性を実験と数値シミュレーションにより確認した。
これらは、海洋再生可能エネルギー利用の経済性を高める事で社会に貢献する。