Numerical Assessment of Vertical Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine Efficiencies With Different Grate Protections

Abstract

Hydrokinetic turbines are crucial for sustainable power generation, but their performance is often impacted by floating debris and sediment transport, which can damage turbine blades. Sediment retention enhances the turbine's lifespan and reduces maintenance by preventing blade erosion, cavitation and clogging. Protective grates reduce abrasive particle entry, minimising blade wear. They also avoid buildup of sediment, lowering the risk of blockages and cavitation, which harm efficiency and accelerate degradation. This study presents the numerical performance of Darrieus-type vertical axis hydrokinetic turbines under the impact of straight and Coanda type grate protection structures. The effects of these two types of grate structures with different design angles on turbine power coefficient (C_P) and torque coefficient (C_T) were investigated using the ANSYS Fluent program. The dynamic mesh technique simulated the turbine rotation and the semi-implicit method for pressure-linked equations (SIMPLE) was applied with a shear stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model. The turbine's efficiency was compared and the results were evaluated for steady and unsteady flow conditions. The highest power coefficients were obtained as 0.230 and 0.264 for steady and unsteady flow, respectively, in the Coanda grate with a 30° central angle. The highest power coefficients were obtained as 0.215 and 0.247 for steady and unsteady flow, respectively, in the straight grate design with a 60° inclination angle. The sediment retention capacities of Coanda grates (30° central angle) and straight grates (60° inclination angle) with varying particle size distributions were further investigated using the discrete phase model (DPM) under steady flow conditions.