Hydrodynamic performance and the power production of the tidal turbine by new profiles at the leading-edge tubercles

In this work, two new profiles at the leading-edge tubercles of the tidal turbine have been proposed to predict the hydrodynamic performance and obtain more power production than the original blade with a smooth leading edge. A computational method based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) is employed for predicting the hydrodynamic performance of the tidal turbine. The turbulent model of the k - omega SST (shear stress transport) has been used. A three-bladed tidal turbine with the NREL's S814 foil section is selected. The numerical results of the power coefficient against tip speed ratio (TSR) show a good agreement in comparison with the experimental data. Then, two new profiles of tubercles, namely zigzag (ZZ) and absolute sinus (AS), at the leading-edge with 0.1 chord length height at each section, are proposed. The results of the power and torque coefficients are significantly increased, especially at higher TSRs.