Performance of a High-Solidity Wells Turbine for an OWC Wave Power Plant

The paper describes an experimental investigation, and presents the results of the aerodynamic performance of a high-solidity Wells turbine for a wave power plant. A monoplane turbine of 0.6 m rotor diameter with guide vanes was built and tested. The tests were conducted in unidirectional steady airflow. Measurements taken include flow rate, pressure drop, torque, and rotational speed, as well as velocity and pressure distributions. Experimental results show that the presence of guide vanes can provide a remarkable increase in turbine efficiency.

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