Modeling the Energy Output from an In-Stream Tidal Turbine Farm

This paper is based on a recent paper presented in the 2007 IEEE SMC conference by the same authors [1], discussing an approach to predicting energy output from an instream tidal turbine farm. An in-stream tidal turbine is a device for harnessing energy from tidal currents in channels, and functions in a manner similar to a wind turbine. A group of such turbines distributed in a site is called an in-stream tidal turbine farm which is similar to a wind farm. Approaches to estimating energy output from wind farms cannot be fully transferred to study tidal farms, however, because of the complexities involved in modeling turbines underwater. In this paper, we intend to develop an approach for predicting energy output of an in-stream tidal turbine farm. The mathematical formulation and basic procedure for predicting power output of a stand-alone turbine is presented, which includes several highly nonlinear terms. In order to facilitate the computation and utilize the formulation for predicting power output from a turbine farm, a simplified relationship between turbine distribution and turbine farm energy output is derived. A case study is then conducted by applying the numerical procedure to predict the energy output of the farms. Various scenarios are implemented according to the environmental conditions in Seymour Narrows, British Columbia, Canada. Additionally, energy cost results are presented as an extension.