Testing reveals improved performance of a two-bladed tidal turbine design with passive blade-pitch and rotor mechanism, suggesting enhanced reliability.
Key Points
Testing showed a reduction in thrust of up to 35% compared to fixed-pitch blades, enhancing efficiency.
A hydrodynamic model was coupled with a mechanical model to predict performance in realistic conditions, validating design viability.
Passive pitch mechanism allows blades to adjust automatically to tidal currents, improving reliability over traditional systems.
The upscale model was tested under various conditions, confirming the operational effectiveness of the novel turbine design.