Keynote: Simulation-Based Approach for Site-Specific Optimization of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion Systems.

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Fotis Sotiropoulos, Ali Khosronejad, Xiaolei Yang, Toni Calderer, Dionysios Angelidis, Saurabh Chawdhary, Lian Shen

Tuesday 30 june 2015

10:15 - 10:45h at Antarctica (level 0)

Themes: (T) Special session, (ST) Marine renewable energy, Keynote

Parallel session: 4D. Special session: Marine Renewable Energy

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A high-fidelity simulation-based approach has been developed to enable site-specific optimization of tidal, current and wave energy conversion systems. The computational code is based on the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory Virtual StreamLab (VSL3D), which is able to carry out high-fidelity simulations of turbulent flow and sediment transport in riverine and coastal environments taking into account the arbitrary geometrical complexity characterizing natural waterways. The computational framework can be used either in device-resolving mode, to resolve all geometrical details of a device, or with devices parameterized using actuator-based approaches. Locally refined grids are employed to dramatically increase the resolution of the simulation and enable efficient simulations of multi-device arrays. Device/sediment interactions are simulated using the coupled hydro-morphodynamic module of VSL3D. Device-wave interactions are taken into account via a level-set fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) approach that enables the simulation of arbitrarily complex floating structures under the action of complex waves. Site-specific wave fields can also be incorporated in the code by coupling a far-field wave model with the near-field FSI model. The predictive capabilities of the resulting computational framework will be demonstrated by presenting simulation results for various cases for which laboratory experiments have also been carried out. The utility of the simulation-based approach for guiding the optimal development of turbine arrays in real-life waterways will also be discussed and demonstrated. This work was supported by NSF grant IIP-1318201. Simulations were carried out at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.