Hydrokinetic Turbine Array Modeling for Performance Analysis and Deployment Optimization

In this paper, the promising preliminary results of an ongoing investigation aiming at developing a turbine array optimization tool are presented. This tool uses 3D RANS CFD simulations of free-surface flows in order to capture blockage effects and turbine-wake interactions present in densified river arrays. Turbines are represented individually into the river model using actuating regions inside which momentum source terms are distributed non-uniformly and scaled with turbine force coefficients (defined with regards to a local velocity scale). These data are derived from a high-fidelity CFD simulation of the specific turbine operating near maximum power extraction.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author