Abstract
Florida is faced with an energy crisis with respect to capacity, supply, cost, emissions, and stability. The untapped energetic waters of the Florida Current could provide a clean, reliable, base-load local renewable energy source for Florida. To facilitate the successful commercial harvesting of this hydrokinetic resource, Florida Atlantic University's Center for Ocean Energy Technology is designing, fabricating, deploying, and operating an experimental small-scale turbine. This 20 kW Ocean Current Turbine Testbed (OCTT) is an open-blade axial-flow horizontal underwater turbine driven by a 3 m diameter 3-blade rotor. It is intended to operate in the open ocean near the core of the Florida Current, offshore Ft. Lauderdale, for long periods of time. This turbine is not intended to be a scaled prototype of a commercial model, but it is intended to be an experimental system to assess technology, identify gaps, investigate and collect data about potential environmental impacts, and provide a foundation for commercial and policy development.