Experimental study on the flow distribution and influence of the tidal stream generator to develop an underwater robot for maintenance

Abstract

In this study, the flow speed distribution generated between two tidal stream power generators was visualized. A vortex with regularity was generated in the perpendicular direction of the blade rotation direction. It was observed that this could affect up to 10 to 12 times of blade diameter. On the other hand, in the case of the support structure and foundation, the vortex strength was lowered by more than 60%, and it was confirmed that both units had the same effect. Remotely Operated Vehicle(ROV) operating in a low vortex environment can be sufficiently controlled using the currently developed thrust-weight ratio. In the future, this study's results will be used to develop underwater robots for maintenance. *This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries(MOF) of the Korea government (project no. 20190396), a part of supported by the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.