Abstract
The 1MW tidal turbine Oceanquest was installed and grid connected, operated and recovered between April 2019 and October 2021 off the coast of Paimpol-Brehat, Brittany.
The tidal turbine is designed with several vertical axis turbines mounted in a mechanical structure made of plates and fairings. There are two counter rotating columns. Each column is equipped with two rotors of 8m diameter and 3.8 m height. A permanent magnet generator is installed on the top of each shaft. A parking brake is placed at the bottom of each shaft. The electrical elements are installed in a watertight enclosure, located inside the upper central fairings. The turbine is connected to shore with power and fiber optic links.
During the turbine operational phase (Apr 2019 – Sep 2021), many results were achieved:
– Operation of the turbine for more than 2 years;
– Survey dives were executed to visually inspect the turbine, to perform various
operations and/or to perform various measurements;
– A power curve test was undertaken, for power curve accreditation;
– Anode and coating performance was assessed