Experimental study on power improvement of a flapping tidal stream turbine by mimicking a manta-ray

Abstract

Various approaches have been tried in an effort to improve the power performance of a flapping tidal stream turbine after it was introduced as an alternative to conventional rotary turbines. Among the different approaches, researches on mimicking the morphology and behavior of animals have been conducted. In this study, we utilized a flapper to mimic the multi-joint pectoral fin of a Manta-ray and investigated its effect on power generation. Experiments were conducted by a dual flapping apparatus with rigid and flexible flappers in a towing tank facility. First, in order to determine the conditions that can produce high power generation, the performances of the dual rigid flappers were compared when input arm angles and frequencies are changed, and the two conditions 40ο, 0.2 Hz and 40ο, 0.3 Hz for the input arm angle, frequency were selected. When the mimicked flexible flapper was used instead of the front rigid flapper and the rear one, the power was improved by an average of 22% and 38% in the experimental conditions, respectively. Moreover, it was recognized from the apparent camber observed during the experiment that the flexible flapper had been successfully applied. If the feasibility of the Manta-Ray mimicked flapper is improved through subsequent researches, the flapping tidal turbine can be a viable alternative to rotary turbines in the near future. © 2018, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute. All rights reserved.