Influence of a Simple Baffle Plate on the Efficiency of a Hydrokinetic Turbine

Abstract

The research presented analyzes the influence exerted on the efficiency of a vertical axis cross-flow hydrokinetic microturbine by modifying the geometry of the channel by means of a deflector located upstream of the turbine. To this end, a series of laboratory tests were carried out in the water tunnel at the University of Oviedo, including the measurement of electrical power and the rotational speeds of the turbine. Additionally, the results obtained were used to adjust a computational fluid dynamics model that allows studying the pressure and velocity fields of the water, where to delve into the analysis of the different types of forces applied to the faces of the blades. The results clearly indicate that the baffle increases the turbine power output up to 250% more than without including any device in the water flow.

Keywords

• hydrokinetic microturbine
• enhancement
• efficiency
• low cost
• validated CFD