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RM1: Tidal Current Turbine

Project Summary

The Reference Model Project was a partnered effort to develop open-source marine hydrokinetic (MHK) point designs as reference models to benchmark MHK technology performance and costs, and an open-source methodology for design and analysis of MHK technologies, including models for estimating their capital costs, operational costs, and levelized costs of energy.

Reference Model 1

Reference Model 1 (RM1) is a dual variable-speed variable-pitch (VSVP) axial-flow tidal turbine device, designed for the Tacoma Narrows tidal current energy resource site in Puget Sound, Washington. RM1 comprises a monopile foundation and a crossarm assembly to mount the two rotors. The cross-arm assembly is nearly neutrally buoyant so the attached rotors can be recovered and redeployed with a minimal amount of lifting crane capacity; therefore, the design minimizes the handling requirements during deployment and recovery, which reduces overall cost in all O&M activities including access to the power conversion chain (PCC).

The site deployment depth (assumed to be uniformly 50 m deep for modeling purposes) permitted a rotor diameter of 20 m. The dual rotors on each unit are offset by 28 m from each rotor centerline. The total width of the device from blade tip to tip is therefore 48 m. The rotor centerlines are submerged 20 m (one rotor diameter) below the free surface to reduce cavitation potential and are positioned one and a half diameters (30 m) above the seabed to reduce boundary layer effects that can cause velocity, turbulent shear, and loading asymmetries across the rotor. The tower height is 45 m, with an embedment depth of 15 m.

The cross-arm was designed to create a neutrally buoyant structure with sufficient strength to withstand thrust loads from the rotors, drag loads on the structure, and the nacelle (turbine housing) weight. The tower joint cross-arm connection uses a 1.5 m diameter central cylinder and two smaller cylinders as guides in the stream-wise direction. These guides help to align the cross-arm as it is lowered back onto the tower and secures the cross-arm into place. The tidal turbine tower was designed as an un-tapered (i.e., same diameter from top to bottom) steel pile with a three-guide cross-arm connection joint at the top.

The two nacelles, located at each end of the cross-arm, contain the complete rotor/drivetrain assembly. The nacelle housing, which was designed as a pressure vessel, has three major fairing sections— forward, central, and aft. The center fairing surrounds a center structure that connects the nacelle to the cross-arm. The center structure contains one access hatch topside and four smaller maintenance hatches on the underside. Forward and aft fairings are stiffened in the longitudinal direction to increase the strength of the pressure vessel.

The powertrain consists of the following key components:

  • Seal and bearing assembly – keeps the enclosure water-sealed and transfers the loads from the rotor-shaft to the nacelle.
  • Rotor support structure – transfers loads from the rotor to the center structure and cross-arm. The steel rotor support consists of six rectangular tubes connecting the two large annular flanges.
  • Seal and bearing flange
  • Center structure – connects the nacelle to the cross-arm and supports all of the nacelle’s weight.
  • Drivetrain assembly

The seal/bearing assembly houses the rotor driveshaft, bearings, and seal components. This assembly consists of the following components:

  • Seal gland – for the rotor shaft end.
  • Rotor shaft – contains both bearings and end seals on the rotor shaft.
  • Bearing package canister – centers and mounts the rotor shaft to the rotor support structure.
This table lists documents associated with the RM1: Tidal Current Turbine project, including reports written by the project team and/or papers that have used the project outputs or are closely associated with them. To find additional project outputs, including related papers, datasets, and codes, explore the RM1: Tidal Current Turbine page on PRIMRE.

Associated Marine Energy Engineering Documents

Total results: 33
Title Author Date Type of Content Technology Collection Method Engineering
Development of a Hydrokinetic Turbine Backwater Prediction Model for Inland Flow through Validated CFD Models Niebuhr, C., Hill, C., Dijk, M. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Cross Flow Turbine, Riverine Modeling Array Effects, Hydrodynamics, Performance
On the benefits of negative hydrodynamic interactions in small tidal energy arrays Topper, M., Olson, S., Roberts, J. Journal Article Current, Tidal Modeling Array Effects, Hydrodynamics
Performance and Wake Characterization of a Model Hydrokinetic Turbine: The Reference Model 1 (RM1) Dual Rotor Tidal Energy Converter Hill, C., Neary, V., Guala, M. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine Lab Data, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Performance
Techno-Economic Modelling of Tidal Energy Converter Arrays in the Tacoma Narrows Topper, M., Olson, S., Roberts, J. Journal Article Current, Tidal Modeling Mooring
Survey of the near wake of an axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine in the presence of waves Lust, E., Flack, K., Luznik, L. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine Lab Data, Modeling, Scale Device Performance
Survey of the near wake of an axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine in quiescent conditions Lust, E., Flack, K., Luznik, L. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal Lab Data Hydrodynamics
Added-mass effects on a horizontal-axis tidal turbine using FAST v8 Murray, R., Thresher, R., Jonkman, J. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal Modeling Performance
Experimental and numerical analysis of the performance and wake of a scale–model horizontal axis marine hydrokinetic turbine Javaherchi, T., Stelzenmuller, N., Aliseda, A. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine Lab Data, Modeling, Full Scale, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Performance
Levelized cost of energy for marine energy conversion (MEC) technologies Neary, V., Kobos, P., Jenne, D. Conference Paper Current, Wave Modeling
On the use of turbulence models for simulating the flow behind a tidal turbine represented by a porous media Nguyen, V., Guillou, S., Thiébot, J. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine Modeling
Effect of Submergence on Tidal Turbine Performance Jeffcoate, P., Salvatore, F., Boake, C. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine Hydrodynamics
3D Modelling of a Tidal Turbine - An Investigation of Wake Phenomena Osbourne, N., Groulx, D., Penesis, I. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine Modeling Hydrodynamics
A synthetic-eddy method to represent the ambint turbulance in numerical simulation of marine current turbine Carlier, C., Pinon, G., Gaurier, B. Conference Paper Axial Flow Turbine Modeling
Experimental Evaluation of a Horizontal-Axis Marine Current Turbine Using Two Scale Models Rahimian, M., Walker, J., Penesis, I. Conference Paper Axial Flow Turbine Scale Device Hydrodynamics
Validation of a Practical CFD Method for Predicting Hydrokinetic Turbine Performance in Wake Shadow Shives, M., Crawford, C. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine Array Effects, Hydrodynamics
Evaluation of RANS BEM and self-similar wake superposition for tidal stream turbine arrays Olczak, A., Sudall, D., Stallard, T. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine Modeling Array Effects
Experimental and numerical analysis of a small array of 45:1 scale horizontal axis hydrokinetic turbines based on the DOE reference model 1 Javaherchi, T., Stelzenmuller, N., Aliseda, A. Conference Paper Current Lab Data, Modeling, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Performance
U.S. Department of Energy Reference Model 1 & 2: Experimental Results on Performance & Wake Characteristics Hill, C., Neary, V., Gunawan, B. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Cross Flow Turbine, Riverine, Tidal Lab Data, Modeling, Scale Device Performance
Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis of Marine and Hydrokinetic Reference Models Jenne, D., Yu, Y., Neary, V. Conference Paper Current, Wave Modeling
U.S. Department of Energy Reference Model Program RM1: Experimental Results Hill, C., Neary, V., Gunawan, B. Report Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal Lab Data, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Performance
Experimental and numerical studies of blade roughness and fouling on marine current turbine performance Walker, J., Flack, K., Lust, E. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine Lab Data, Scale Device Performance
Methodology for design and economic analysis of marine energy conversion (MEC) technologies Neary, V., Lawson, M., Previsic, M. Conference Paper Current, Wave
Methodology for Design and Economic Analysis of Marine Energy Conversion (MEC) Technologies Neary, V., Previsic, M., Jepsen, R. Report Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Cross Flow Turbine, Tidal, Ocean Current, Wave, Point Absorber, Oscillating Water Column, Oscillating Wave Surge Converter Lab Data, Full Scale, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Mooring, Performance
Numerical investigation of Marine Hydrokinetic Turbines: methodology development for single turbine and small array simulation, and application to flume and full-scale reference models Mozafari, A. Thesis Current Modeling, Full Scale Hydrodynamics
The Effect of Surface Waves on the Performance Characteristics of a Model Tidal Turbine Luznik, L., Flack, K., Lust, E. Journal Article Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal, Wave Scale Device
US Department of Energy (DOE) National Lab Activities in Marine Hydrokinetics: Scaled Model Testing of DOE Reference Turbines Neary, V., Fontaine, A., Bachant, P. Conference Paper Current, Cross Flow Turbine Lab Data, Scale Device
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the DOE Reference Model 1 Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine Javaherchi, T., Stelzenmuller, N., Aliseda, A. Conference Paper Current Lab Data, Modeling, Scale Device Hydrodynamics, Performance
Experimental Test Plan – DOE Tidal and River Reference Turbines Neary, V., Hill, C., Chamorro, L. Report Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Cross Flow Turbine, Tidal Lab Data, Full Scale Hydrodynamics, Performance
Marine Hydrokinetic Turbine Power-Take-Off Design for Optimal Performance and Low Impact on Cost-of-Energy Beam, M., Kline, B., Elbing, B. Conference Paper Current, Wave Power Take Off
Reference Model #1 – Tidal Energy: Resource Polagye, B. Report Current, Tidal Performance
The Contribution of Environmental Siting and Permitting Requirements to the Cost of Energy for Marine and Hydrokinetic Devices Reference Models #1, #2 and #3 Copping, A., Geerlofs, S. Report Current, Cross Flow Turbine, Tidal, Riverine, Wave, Point Absorber Full Scale, Scale Device Hydrodynamics
Structural Design of a Horizontal-Axis Tidal Current Turbine Composite Blade Bir, G., Lawson, M., Li, Y. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal Hydrodynamics, Performance, Structural
Development and Verification of a Computational Fluid Dynamics Model of a Horizontal-Axis Tidal Current Turbine Lawson, M., Li, Y., Sale, D. Conference Paper Current, Axial Flow Turbine, Tidal Modeling Hydrodynamics, Performance
Displaying 1 - 33 of 33 results