저 유속 해역에서 수중 둔덕과 조류발전기 덕트로 인한 유속 증폭 효과 수치해석

초록

Tidal energy has attracted considerable attention as a next-generation renewable energy source due to its high predictability and stable power generation. Since the power output of a tidal turbine is proportional to the cube of the flow velocity, enhancing the local current velocity is essential for improving energy con-version efficiency. In this study, five flow-acceleration configurations combining a submerged mound and a duct are proposed to enhance the performance of tidal turbines in low-current environments, such as those surrounding offshore bridge piers. The flow fields were analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software STAR-CCM+, and the flow velocity and enhancement ratio were compared for each configuration. The combined submerged mound–duct configuration increased the mean flow veloc-ity by approximately 47%. When the free-surface effect was considered, the maximum flow velocity en-hancement reached approximately 60%. This additional acceleration is attributed to the free-surface de-pression, which suppresses the bypass flow over the duct and promotes stronger flow through the duct in-terior. The findings of this study provide useful design guidelines for improving the performance of tidal turbines operating in low-current environments.

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