A Fully Coupled Electromagnetic-Hydrodynamic-Rigid Body Kinetics Model for Moored-Submerged Reconfigurable Ducted Turbine Arrays

Abstract

Hydrokinetic energy is largely untapped since the expense to install, operate, monitor, maintain, repair, and recover hydrokinetic turbines in aquatic environments leads to a high levelized cost of energy. Multidisciplinary design methods based on coupled aerodynamics/hydrodynamics, structural dynamics, power electronics, etc., are proposed to reduce the levelized cost of energy. This article presents a multiphysics coupled lumped-parameter model composed of the following: 1) a rigid body turbine array; 2) a mooring cable; 3) ducted turbine units; and 4) generators and electrical loads. The lumped-parameter multiphysics model is analytical, preserving the physical insights behind its development. Compared to high-fidelity (e.g., finite-element or distributed parameter) approaches, the lumped-parameter model is computationally low cost, which allows for applications of parametric investigations, design optimization, model-based real-time adjustment, control, etc. Among these applications, this work demonstrates 1) model-based real-time maximum power point tracking for varying flow velocity and 2) parametric investigations and design optimization for reducing the levelized cost of energy to show the utility of the proposed model.