Simulation of the hydrodynamic performance of a horizontal axis tidal turbine blade designed by profile modeling based on the shark fin

Blades are the core components of horizontal axis tidal turbines, and their efficiency has an important impact on the utilization of tidal current energy. In this paper, the excellent hydrodynamic performance of shark fins is applied to the blades design of a horizontal axis tidal turbine. Firstly, the three-dimensional digital models of shark fins are established through 3D scanning technology, and the blades of horizontal axis tidal turbine are obtained by profile modeling of the shark fin. Secondly, the software of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is applied to analyze the hydrodynamic performance of the bionic blades. The parameters of power efficiency coefficient CP, axial force coefficient CF, and torque coefficient CT of bionic blades are investigated and compared with conventional blades. The simulation result shows that the hydrodynamic performance of the bionic blades is better than that of conventional blades under the condition of the minor speed ratio at the blade tip. An innovative idea for the research on the tidal current turbine blades is provided. © 2019 by Begell House, Inc.