Masters Theses

Abstract

"The current work discusses the hydrodynamic performance of horizontal axis hydrokinetic turbines (HAHkT) under different turbine geometries and flow conditions. Hydrokinetic turbines are a class of zero-head hydropower systems which utilize kinetic energy of flowing water to drive a generator. However, such turbines often suffer from low-efficiency. A detailed computational fluid dynamics study was performed using a low-order k-[omega] SST (Shear Stress Transport) turbulence model to examine the effect of each of tip-speed ratio, solidity, angle of attack and number of blades on the performance of small HAHkTs with a power capacity of 10 kW. The numerical models (both two-dimensional and three-dimensional) developed for these purposes were validated with blade element momentum theory. The two-dimensional numerical models suggest an optimum angle of attack that maximizes lift as well as lift to drag ratio thereby yielding the maximum power output. In addition, our three-dimensional model is used to estimate optimum turbine solidity and blade numbers that produces maximum power coefficient at a given tip speed ratio. Furthermore, the axial velocity deficit downstream of the turbine rotor provides quantitative details of energy loss suffered by each turbine at ambient flow conditions. The velocity distribution provides confirmation of the stall-delay phenomenon that occurs due to the rotation of the turbine. In addition, it provides further verification of optimum tip speed ratio corresponding to maximum power coefficient obtained from the solidity analysis"--Abstract, page iii.

Advisor(s)

Banerjee, Arindam

Committee Member(s)

Mishra, Rajiv S.
Chandrashekhara, K.
Kimball, Jonathan W.

Department(s)

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degree Name

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Sponsor(s)

United States. Office of Naval Research

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

2010

Pagination

x, 101 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 39-41).

Rights

© 2010 Suchi Subhra Mukherji, All rights reserved.

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Subject Headings

Hydraulic turbines -- DesignKinematicsTurbulence -- Mathematical models

Thesis Number

T 10249

Print OCLC #

863156529

Electronic OCLC #

863156579

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