Performance and wake characteristics of tidal turbines in an infinitely large array

The efficiency of tidal-stream turbines in a large array depends on the balance between negative effects turbine-wake interactions and positive bypass-flow acceleration due to local blockage, both which are functions layout turbines. Here we investigate hydrodynamics an infinitely with aligned or staggered layouts for range streamwise lateral turbine spacing. First, present theoretical analysis based extension Linear Momentum Actuator Disc Theory (LMADT) perfectly layouts, employing hybrid inviscid-viscous approach account blockage effect within each row viscous (turbulent) wake mixing behind coupled manner. We perform Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) open-channel flow 28 tidal using Actuator-Line Method periodic boundary conditions. Both LES results show that (or power given bulk velocity) decreases as reduce spacing, whereas remains high may even increase (causing velocity upstream exceed if spacing is sufficiently small. further reveal amplitude meandering tends decrease leads lower recovery rate near-wake region. These will help understand improve future arrays, though performance real arrays depend not only turbine-to-turbine but also macro-scale natural currents, latter outside scope this study.