Unsteady Analysis of a Horizontal Axis Marine Current Turbine in Yawed Inflow Conditions With a Panel Method

A low order potential based panel method is used for the analysis of the unsteady flow around marine current turbines. An empirical vortex model independent of the induced velocities is assumed for the turbine wake. The analysis is carried out for a controllable pitch horizontal axis marine current turbine in straight and yawed inflow conditions at two different pitch settings in a wide range of tip-speed-ratios. The results are compared with experimental data from the literature and with the lifting line theory. A fair to good agreement with the experimental performance data is found near the design condition. The effect of the viscous corrections on the prediction of turbine performance coefficients is illustrated.