Abstract
A metamodel simulation based optimisation approach for the tidal turbine location problem is introduced. The method comprises design of experiments, computational simulations, metamodel construction and formulation of a mathematical optimisation model. Sample plans with different number of data points are used to fit 2nd and 3rd order polynomial as a function of two design parameters: longitudinal and lateral spacing, with a view to approximating the power output of tidal turbine farms with inline and staggered layouts, each of them with a fixed number of turbines. The major advantage this method has, in comparison to those reported in the literature, is the capability to analyse different design parameter combinations that satisfy optimality criteria in reasonable computational time, while taking into account complex flow-turbine interactions.