DSA, Mavi Innovations publish new tidal energy study

Illustration (Photo: flickr/Codex41)
Illustration (Photo: flickr/Codex41)

 
Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) and Mavi Innovations have issued a study that assessed the impact of floating debris on hydrokinetic energy converters in oceans and rivers as well as the risk of snagging these devices with marine tow cable.

The results of the study titled ‘Tidal and River Energy Converter Debris Impact Load and Cable Snag Risk Quantification’, are intended to inform marine renewable energy standard development by providing indications of loads in debris impact and snag scenarios as well as guidance on how to make floating tidal systems snag resistant.

The work presented was carried out in three phases of numerical dynamic analysis:

  1. Tug and barge navigation through tidal channel in proximity to a hypothetical tidal farm site to assess likelihood of collision
  2. Floating submerged turbine platform towline snag to qualitatively refine a snag resistant design
  3. Floating platform debris impact for verification from field test data

The study was sponsored by a Canada-based engineering, management and development firm SRM Projects, and supported by Marine Renewables Canada and the Standards Council of Canada Mirror Committee to IEC/TC114 through a grant from NRCan’s EcoEnergy II program and other members of the International Electrotechnical Committee.