A European tidal R&D project has been launched to design a next-generation turbine blade aimed at bringing down the levelised cost of energy from the technology.
The NEMMO (Next Evolution in Materials and Modelling for Ocean energy) project will use advanced computer modelling, innovative materials and new testing procedures to come up with composite blades that will enable tidal devices to reach more than 2MW.
The 12 project partners have begun developing a state-of-the-art computer model to simulate blade wear and tear.
One partner, Technion, is using supercomputers and their innovative in-house code to simulate the flows experienced by tidal turbine blades.
The model is expected to pave the way for innovative adaptations to reduce blade damage and improve hydrodynamic performance.
NEMMO project coordinator Pablo Benguria said: “The NEMMO project brings together researchers at the cutting edge of their field, with a single objective: making tidal energy technology more competitive.
“I am delighted that the first stages of this research are underway, and look forward to sharing the results with the sector next year.”
The project partners are ADERA (France), Blaest (Denmark), Dublin City University (Ireland), Funditec (Spain), INPRE (Spain), ITAINNOVA (Spain), Sagres/Magallanes (Spain), SPNano (Israel), SSPA (Sweden), Ocean Energy Europe (Belgium) Technion (Israel) and Tecnalia (Spain).