Turbulence in Grand Passage Nova Scotia: Measures of Intermittency

Turbulence research is very important to advancing the in-stream tidal energy sector, however turbulence in general is not well understood.  Measurement at prospective turbine locations is essential prior to development, given the high degree of spatial variability between sites. Research in turbulence is advancing rapidly as new techniques and modeling work are developed and tested worldwide. The purpose of this study was to compute higher order statistics on velocity shear probe data (collected from Grand Passage in Nova Scotia in 2013) and compare these results with theoretical predictions, to better understand current velocity intensity (intermittency) and its potential impact on turbine power production. A key element of the research is the computation and analysis of ‘real ocean’ measurements collected using advanced technologies. The project results have contributed to a better understanding of how turbulence can impact on turbine power production.

Team

Principal Investigators:  Dr. Alex Hay and Dr. Justine McMillan, Dalhousie University

Date
April – December 2016