Abstract
This project will be the first characterization of the performance of a novel reactive reversible blade system designed for power generation. The reversible blade system is composed of a series of blades that can pivot around their span axis while the forces on the blades generate a torque that may be useful for power generation (Fig 6). It is theorized that as the blades rotate, drag will decrease on the system, thus allowing an increase in rotational speed and power output. The system may therefore be well suited for slow currents.
As no previous numerical models or testing of the Creek Tides technology are available, these tests will gather preliminary fundamental performance data on the turbine concept without a priori scaling requirements. Rather than the typical approach which identifies full scale system performance goals and then selects suitable scaled experimental conditions, these tests will evaluate the prototype’s performance at its current scale and extrapolate equivalent larger scale projected performance.
A prototype of the turbine with a set of 5 reactive blades has been constructed by Creek Tides (CT), and will be tested in Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Hydrodynamics Laboratory recirculating flume at varying flow speeds, with and without mechanical load applied. These experiments will 1) measure the rotational speed as a function of incoming flow speed 2) measure torque as a function of incoming flow speed and 3) compute power efficiency as a function of flow speed.