Hydrodynamic water tunnel for characterization of hydrokinetic microturbines designs
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Hydrodynamic water tunnel for characterization of hydrokinetic microturbines designs Eduardo Álvarez‑Álvarez1 · Manuel Rico‑Secades2 · Aitor Fernández‑Jiménez1 · Rodolfo Espina‑Valdés1 · E. L. Corominas2 · Antonio J. Calleja‑Rodríguez2 Received: 10 December 2019 / Accepted: 12 August 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The enormous inroads made by renewable energy in recent years have been the key to the development of new technologies designed to obtain energy from a range of resources. Hydrokinetic microturbines used to harness kinetic energy from rivers, tidal and marine currents epitomize such developments. As the reservoir is dispensed with, the water footprint normally associated with conventional hydroelectric generation is minimized. The new prototypes being developed require laboratories with water tunnel infrastructures where they can be accurately reproduced under controlled conditions. However, the construction of a water tunnel demands considerable investment, which prevents many research groups from completing their prototype design work. This paper charts the design of a low-cost hydrodynamic water tunnel at the University of Oviedo, indicating the mechanical and electronic elements as well as the software developments that make up the facility. This construction is a part of a research strategy focused on making the study of new hydrokinetic microturbines designs economically feasible. Moreover, it includes a description of a special software application used to perform the characterization of a hydrokinetic microturbine model in the water tunnel and a demonstration of the scope of the facility in the experimental study of a unit with a Darrieus rotor. Graphic abstract
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Keywords Hydrodynamic water tunnel · Hydrokinetic microturbine · Power electronics · Permanent magnet generator (PMG)
Introduction Hydropower generation is the largest renewable source worldwide, and despite seeing its installed capacity slow down in 2019 (12.7 GW in 2019), the production of hydropower soared to a record 4306 terawatt hours (TWh), which is the single largest contribution from a renewable energy source in history (IHA 2019). The outbreak of COVID-19 and its subsequent impact has demonstrated the resilience of the renewable sources (Earth.org) and their fundamental role in the future of electricity generation. In such a context, and despite the significant impact of the virus on the economy, the hydropower capacity is expected to increase in 2020 and rise further in 2021 (IEA 2020) thereby maximizing its share in the demand and supply of energy in the immediate future. Most hydropower plants use a dam to store water in a reservoir, and electricity is produced by releasing water from that reservoir through a turbine which harnesses the energy of the water flow rate between the different levels created. These plants, although traditionally
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