Influence of a Simple Baffle Plate on the Efficiency of a Hydrokinetic Turbine

The research presented analyzes the influence exerted on the efficiency of a vertical axis cross-flow hydrokinetic microturbine by modifying the geometry of the channel by means of a deflector located upstream of the turbine. To this end, a series of laboratory tests were carried out in the water tu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rodolfo Espina-Valdés, Victor M. Fernández-Álvarez, Ahmed Gharib-Yosry, Aitor Fernández-Jiménez, Eduardo Álvarez-Álvarez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-10-01
Series:Environmental Sciences Proceedings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4931/21/1/4
Description
Summary:The research presented analyzes the influence exerted on the efficiency of a vertical axis cross-flow hydrokinetic microturbine by modifying the geometry of the channel by means of a deflector located upstream of the turbine. To this end, a series of laboratory tests were carried out in the water tunnel at the University of Oviedo, including the measurement of electrical power and the rotational speeds of the turbine. Additionally, the results obtained were used to adjust a computational fluid dynamics model that allows studying the pressure and velocity fields of the water, where to delve into the analysis of the different types of forces applied to the faces of the blades. The results clearly indicate that the baffle increases the turbine power output up to 250% more than without including any device in the water flow.
ISSN:2673-4931