Bourne tidal test site collects water velocity data

The team from the University of Rhode Island have retrieved the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) that was deployed one month ago to take water column velocity data at the Cape Cod Canal site.

The high-resolution data will be analyzed and correlated to result in a projected energy power output of the Bourne tidal test site (BTTS), according to Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative (MRECo), the organization in charge of site development.

“Determining projected power output for a tidal testing area is important because when device developers install their own turbines at the BTTS, they can compare data from their turbine to the actual energy output recorded by the University of Rhode Island’s team,” MRECo said.

“Now we have the hard work to do. We have to get all the data, analyze and process it and determine next steps. This will take a month or so,” said Soroush Kouhi, doctoral student at the University of Rhode Island who took part in the research.

Also, the team lead by MRECo’s BTTS Site Manager Eben Franks installed a downward looking sea surface level sensor that will correlate tidal heights with the water velocities recorded underwater by the ADCP.

All of this data will be combined to further characterize the water flow environment at the BTTS.

To remind, BTTS was installed in November 2017. The site, located 10 meters south of the west end of the railroad bridge in the Cape Cod Canal, is suitable for testing of tidal energy components or turbines of up to 3 meters in diameter with maximum output of 100kW.

MRECo is a nonprofit organization that educates and involves all stakeholders to provide the sustainable development of renewable energy in New England waters.