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Field Measurements at River and Tidal Current Sites for Hydrokinetic Energy Development: Best Practices Manual

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1034380· OSTI ID:1034380
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
  5. Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
In this report, existing data collection techniques and protocols for characterizing open channel flows are reviewed and refined to further address the needs of the MHK industry. The report provides an overview of the hydrodynamics of river and tidal channels, and the working principles of modern acoustic instrumentation, including best practices in remote sensing methods that can be applied to hydrokinetic energy site characterization. Emphasis is placed upon acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and acoustic-Doppler current profiler (ADCP) instruments, as these represent the most practical and economical tools for use in the MHK industry. Incorporating the best practices as found in the literature, including the parameters to be measured, the instruments to be deployed, the instrument deployment strategy, and data post-processing techniques. The data collected from this procedure aims to inform the hydro-mechanical design of MHK systems with respect to energy generation and structural loading, as well as provide reference hydrodynamics for environmental impact studies. The standard metrics and protocols defined herein can be utilized to guide field experiments with MHK systems.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1034380
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM--2011/419
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English