Yes / This study presents results from laboratory experiments to investigate the wake structure in the lee side of a scaled three-bladed horizontal axis tidal stream turbine with a mono-pile support structure. Experiments are conducted for a range of approaching flow velocity and installation height of rotor. Analysis of the results shows that bed shear stress increases with the increase of approaching velocity and decrease of installation height within 2D (D is the diameter of the rotor) downstream of the rotor. The flow field within 2D downstream of the rotor is greatly influenced by the presence of nacelle and mono-pile. Low stream-wise flow velocity and large turbulence intensity level is detected along the flume center right behind the nacelle and mono-pile from 1D to 2D downstream of the rotor. Stream-wise velocity at the blade tip height lower than the nacelle increases sharply from 1D to 2D and gradually grows afterwards. Correspondingly, the turbulence intensity decreases quickly from 1D to 2D and slowly afterwards. Large bed shear stress is measured from 1D to 2D, which is closely related to turbulence induced by the mono-pile. It is also found that the presence of the mono-pile might make the flow field more ‘disc-shaped’. / National Key Research and Development Program of China (No.2017YFC1404200), the Marine Renewable Energy Research Project of State Oceanic Administration (No.GHME2015GC01), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (No.2017B696X14) and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province, China (No.KYCX17_0448)

La démarche d’intégration des hétérogénéités dans les modèles réservoirs en est à ses prémices dans le domaine du stockage géologique de CO2. C’est dans ce contexte que s’inscrivent ces travaux de thèse. Un protocole d’analyse depuis l’étude de terrain jusqu’aux simulations réservoirs a été établi. La caractérisation du Minjur Sandstone (formation Triasique d’Arabie Centrale) met en avant le caractère crucial de la connectivité des corps dans l’architecture du réservoir, notamment en liant génétiquement leur nature, leur connectivité et leur position dans la séquence de dépôt. S’appuyant sur la connaissance de cette formation, un modèle conceptuel est construit, puis reproduit stochastiquement par un algorithme permettant l’élaboration de modèles conditionnés par une histoire sédimentaire. Le protocole prévoit la création de 50 scénarios illustrant divers degrés de connectivité ; chaque scénario étant composé de deux modèles de même architecture mais à remplissage sédimentaire différent. Cette approche permet d’appréhender (a) l’impact de la connectivité et (b) des hétérogénéités sédimentaires sur les performances réservoirs. L’estimation de capacité par l’approche statique des volumes disponibles estime une capacité moyenne d’environ 13Mt (aquifère semi-infini de 25 km par 25 km et 60m d’épaisseur à 1000 m de profondeur). Les hétérogénéités internes (sédiments argileux appelés oxbow lakes) entraînent une différence de capacité de 30%. Les simulations dynamiques confirment ces résultats et révèle une variabilité de capacité de 23% liée la connectivité des corps. De plus les hétérogénéités réduisent la migration verticale du gaz ce qui peut augmenter l’intégrité du stockage. / In the CO2 storage context, heterogeneity has only been rarely considered in reservoir models to date. To address this key issue, the project aims at developing a workflow that manages the heterogeneity from the field observations up to the reservoir simulation. The characterisation of the Minjur Sandstone (a Triassic formation from Central Saudi Arabia) shows the crucial role of connectivity in the reservoir architecture, and the genetic link between the nature, location and connectivity of the sedimentary bodies in the sequence. Stemming from this study, a conceptual model was established and stochastically reproduced through an algorithm simulating models conditioned to a sedimentary history. Fifty scenarios were simulated, representing various connectivity degrees. Each of these scenarios is composed of two models, identical by their architecture but different in their internal sedimentary fill. This approach allows the study of the impact of the (a) reservoir bodies’ connectivity and (b) their internal sedimentary heterogeneity on the reservoir’s performances. The capacity estimates using a static calculation based on the available pore volumes reveals a mean capacity of 13 Mt (for a 25 x 25 km x 60 m semi finite aquifer at 1000m deep). The sedimentary heterogeneity (shaly deposits called oxbow lakes) is responsible for a 30% difference of capacity. The flow simulations confirm these results and show that the connectivity of the reservoir bodies creates a 23% capacity variation. Moreover, the heterogeneities tend to reduce the amount of CO2 able to reach the uppermost reservoir which may enhance the storage integrity.

A fita nasal é amplamente utilizada em equinos durante o exercício, porém seus resultados são controversos e pouco conhecidos em animais que disputam provas de resistência. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram verificar se o uso da fita nasal influencia parâmetros durante o exercício predominantemente aeróbico, como frequência respiratória, volume tidal, volume minuto, tempos de inspiração e expiração, população de células por meio de lavado broncoalveolar, frequência cardíaca e lactato sanguíneo. Foram utilizados seis equinos da raça Árabe que realizaram dois testes de longa duração em esteira, sendo um teste com fita e outro sem a fita nasal. Durante os testes eram realizadas coletas de sangue, espirometria com obtenção de curvas de fluxo e volume respiratório, e registro da frequência cardíaca por meio de frequencímetro. Duas horas após o término do exercício foi realizado lavado broncoalveolar para realização de citologia da secreção pulmonar. Não houveram diferenças entre os parâmetros ventilatórios analisados entre os animais quando correram com ou sem a fita nasal. Entretanto, a frequência cardíaca foi em média menor durante o exercício nos animais que se exercitaram com a fita nasal (p<0,05), podendo indicar uma melhor oferta de oxigênio durante o exercício de longa duração com o uso da fita nasal, apesar de não encontrarmos alterações nos parâmetros de fluxo e volume respiratório. Na avaliação citológica do conteúdo do lavado broncoalveolar, foi verificada maior porcentagem de neutrófilos após o exercício nos animais que se exercitaram com a fita nasal (p<0,05), indicando que o turbilhonamento na passagem do ar através da cavidade nasal pode ter diminuído permitindo que partículas maiores se depositassem em porções mais distais do sistema respiratório, induzindo uma resposta neutrofílica mais intensa. O uso da fita nasal parece influenciar alguns parâmetros durante e após o exercício em animais que realizam provas de longa duração. Outros estudos devem ser realizados para verificar se essa influência pode melhorar o desempenho desses animais em exercícios predominantemente aeróbicos / The nasal strip is widely used in horses during exercise, but the results are controversial and little known in animals that compete for endurance events. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of nasal strips influence parameters during predominantly aerobic exercise, such as respiratory frequency, tidal volume, minute ventilation, inspiratory and expiratory times, population of cells by bronchoalveolar lavage, heart rate and blood lactate. Six Arabian horses were submitted to two low intensity tests on a treadmill, one of them with nasal strip and one without nasal strip. During the tests were carried out blood samples, airflow and volume curves with spirometry mask, and heart rate was recorded through heart rate monitor. Two hours after the exercise was performed bronchoalveolar lavage to perform cytology of pulmonary secretions. There were no differences among ventilatory parameters analyzed when the horses performed the exercise with or without the nasal strip. However, heart rate was lower on average during the exercise when the horses were exercised with nasal strip (p <0.05), which may indicate a better supply of oxygen during the low intensity exercise with the use of nasal strip, despite we did not find changes in the airflow and respiratory volume parameters. In cytological evaluation of the content of bronchoalveolar lavage, increased percentage of neutrophils was observed after exercise in animals with nasal strip (p <0.05), indicating that turbulence in the airflow through the nasal cavity may have diminished allowing larger particles to be deposited in distal portions of the respiratory system, inducing a more intense neutrophilic response. The use of nasal strips appears to influence some parameters during and after exercise in horses that perform low intensity and endurance tests. Further studies should be conducted to verify that this influence can improve the performance of these horses in predominantly aerobic exercises

Interest in exploring renewable energy resources has increased globally, especially with recent worldwide intentions to maintain the global climate. Looking at the oceans as a vast sustainable clean energy resource to satisfy present high humankind energy demands has been strongly recommended. Several types of renewable energy resources exist in the oceans: waves, tides, thermal and salinity variations, currents, and offshore winds. Exploiting tidal currents is considered one of the most effective approaches to the generation of electricity. Tidal turbines are deployed beneath the sea surface to transfer the kinetic energy in tidal currents to mechanical energy suitable for ongoing conversion to electricity and subsequent transmission. However, choosing a suitable site to deploy these turbines is not a trivial process. Various constraints must be satisfied subject to basic criteria dependent upon local factors, technology limitation and economic consideration. In addition, an important issue to consider is taking care to harness energy from tidal currents with minimum possible impact on the surrounding environment. The present study justifies the nomination of the Strait of Messina as an exceptional tidal current energy resource within the Mediterranean Sea basin. The maximum tidal current velocity at spring peak tide through the Strait may exceed 3 m/s. This mainly results from the tidal phase-difference (180°) between the northern (Tyrrhenian Sea) and southern (Ionian Sea) tips of the Strait, associated with a difference of 0.27 m in tidal wave amplitudes. In addition, the complex coastline configuration of the Strait plays an important role in enhancing tidal current velocities. Therefore, the Strait of Messina fulfils the basic criterion (2 m/s tidal current velocity) to be considered as a valid tidal current energy resource. This massive tidal current energy resource is assessed in the present study. A detailed full desk-based Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is performed using the interactive matrix approach in order to investigate the anticipated environmental impacts on the marine ecosystem of the Strait of Messina resulting from the harnessing of energy from its tidal currents. Through the EIA study the different environmental components, both biotic and abiotic, which may be affected by the energy extraction process, are explained. In addition, the proposed key project activities are listed; the likelihood of occurrence and the magnitude of impact interaction with the environmental components are evaluated. The final judgment matrix guides to make a right decision on the proposed project. From the resulted matrix, the major impacts do not exceed 10% of the total anticipated effects. The positive point is that all the expected impacts, including the majors, can be controlled and minimised to the lowest possible limits by applying a good monitoring programme. The University of Edinburgh “Tidal Flow Development (TFD)” numerical model is used to mimic the tidal environment of the Strait of Messina in different cases. The model successfully simulates the tidal flow regime within the Strait under some exceptional conditions. Modifications to the main numerical code and coefficients were necessary in the present research to adjust the model according to each case study. In the three different cases of simulation, using these exceptional coefficients, the model simulates the main tidal characteristics of the tidal flow within the Strait. According to the results of the numerical simulation process, tidal currents are more intensive close to the eastern coast of the Strait of Messina near to Punta Pezzo. This area is far from any ferry route between Italy and Sicily. The best location to deploy tidal turbines for the energy extraction process is therefore recommended to be within these surroundings. Finally, a physical (laboratory) model is used to simulate the flow regime within the Strait of Messina. The Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was applied in the flow-table tank at the University of Edinburgh. The physical model simulates the flow behaviour within the Strait of Messina to a satisfactory degree. The cyclonic and anti-cyclonic motions observed at the southern extremity of the Strait are also very well simulated. The results of the present study assure confidence in the use of tidal currents within the Strait of Messina as a renewable energy resource. The safety of the environment must be ensured by following environmental guidelines, respecting the energy extraction limits and by applying an effective monitoring programme. The later is strongly recommended to be an adaptive one in which higher environmental authorities are able to watch, revise and control the environmental team within the project. These authorities are also able to postpone the project in case of any severe environmental case. The simulation processes emphasize the effect of morphometry and topography in enhancing tidal currents in the Strait of Messina. Moreover, numerical simulation assures that the complex morphometry and bathymetry, in addition to the open boundaries of the Strait of Messina, are challenging issues for modellers in order to mimic the real tidal current resource in the case of the Strait of Messina. The study also strongly recommends applying a more effective numerical model than TFD to assess the tidal hydrodynamical environment before and after any proposed energy extraction process. This will certainly, with the EIA of the marine ecosystem, help to make a right decision about the proposed project in order to achieve the goal of using clean and clear renewable energy resources while maintaining both natural and hydrodynamical environments to the most possible safest degree.

Les concentrations en silice dissoute (DSi) et silice particulaire biogène (BSi) ont été mesurées pendant une année complète (en 2003) dans la zone tidale de la rivière Escaut et dans ses tributaires aux limites tidales. Alors que la DSi est restée, dans les tributaires, à des concentrations élevées toute au long de l’année, et que la BSi s’est maintenue à des concentrations faibles, la DSi a été entièrement consommée pendant l’été dans la rivière tidale et les concentrations en BSi ont augmenté. En comparant ces concentrations avec celles de la biomasse des diatomées et de la matière en suspension, il a pu être estimé que la majeure partie de la BSi en été était associée aux diatomées vivantes. Des bilans de masse de la DSi et de ces deux fractions de BSi ont été effectués sur différentes zones de la rivière tidale pendant la période durant laquelle les diatomées se développent (période productive, Mai à Octobre). Ceci a permis l’estimation de la croissance et de la mortalité des diatomées, ainsi que de la sédimentation nette de la BSi durant cette période : la moitié de la DSi apportée par les rivières a été transformée en BSi dans la rivière tidale, et la rétention de la silice y a atteint un tiers des apports fluviaux en silice “totale” (TSi = DSi + BSi). Les flux annuels de silice ont aussi été calculés pour replacer à une échelle annuelle les résultats obtenus pendant la période productive : les rétentions annuelles de DSi et la de TSi ne s élevèrent respectivement qu’à 14 et 6 %. L’échantillonnage de l’estuaire a été effectué sur l’ensemble du gradient de salinité au cours de 11 campagnes réparties sur trois ans (de 2003 à 2005). Du fait du mélange des eaux douces et marines, les concentrations en DSi diminuèrent toujours de l’amont vers l’aval, mais les profils étaient généralement convexes ou concaves. Ils ont été interprétés en les comparant avec ceux obtenus à l’aide de la modélisation du transport conservatif. Les flux à l’embouchure ont aussi pu être recalculés, ce qui a permis de quantifier la consommation ou le relargage de DSi au sein de l’estuaire : un maximum de consommation a été observé au printemps, mais l’estuaire a été une source nette de DSi d’août à décembre. A l’échelle annuelle, 28 % des apports de DSi à l’estuaire ont été consommés. La comparaison des profils de BSi avec ceux de la biomasse des diatomées et ceux de la matière en suspension indiqua que la plupart de la BSi dans l’estuaire était détritique (c’est-à-dire non associée aux diatomées vivantes). Ces résultats ont été confirmés par des expériences d’incorporation de silice radioactive qui, bien que la méthodologie soit complètement différente, apportèrent des résultats comparables. La dynamique complexe de la BSi a donc pu être interprétée à l’aide de celle déjà bien étudiée de la matière en suspension dans l’estuaire de l’Escaut, et un bilan de masse de la BSi dans l’estuaire a pu être établi à partir d’un bilan pour la matière en suspension obtenu de la littérature. En plus de la production de diatomées, l’estuaire a reçu presque autant de BSi de la rivière tidale que de la zone côtière. Ceci induisit que la rétention de TSi dans l’estuaire (59 %) a été plus importante que celle de la DSi. Au final, le système tidal de l’Escaut apparaît comme un filtre important pour la silice : les rétentions globales de DSi et TSi dans ce système s’élevèrent respectivement à 39 et 61 %. La comparaison des dynamiques de la silice dans la rivière tidale et dans l’estuaire mit en évidence l’importance du rôle de l’estuaire. La consommation de DSi et la déposition de BSi par unité de surface étaient certes plus intenses dans la rivière tidale mais, à l’échelle de l’écosystème, les effets y furent limités du fait de sa faible surface comparée à celle de l’estuaire. L’une des observations les plus importantes de cette étude est celle de l’apport net de BSi à l’estuaire depuis la zone côtière, ce qui induisit une importante rétention estuarienne de la silice. Les différences importantes entre les rétentions de DSi et de TSi mettent ainsi en évidence la nécessité de prendre en compte la dynamique de la BSi dans l’étude de celle de la silice. De plus, l’importance de la BSi détritique implique que la dynamique de la BSi ne peut être étudiée de part l’observation seule de celle des diatomées. Enfin, l’apport net de BSi vers l’estuaire à l’embouchure, ainsi que l’origine en grande partie marine des diatomées se développant dans l’estuaire, soulignent l’importance de prendre en compte l’importance des échanges à l’embouchure pour le fonctionnement biogéochimique de la silice dans l’estuaire ; l’estuaire ne doit pas être vu comme un simple filtre à sens unique des espèces dissoutes et particulaires provenant uniquement des rivières en amont.

Transition towards a low carbon economy raises concerns of loss of security of supply with high penetrations of renewable generation displacing traditional fossil fuel based generation. While wind and wave resources are increasingly forecastable, they are stochastic in nature. The tidal current resource, although variable has the advantage of being deterministic and truly predictable. With the first Crown Estate leasing round complete for wave and tidal current energy, plans are in place to install 1000 MW of tidal capacity in the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters. The aim of the work presented in this thesis is to examine the role tidal current energy can realistically play in the future electricity mix. To achieve this objective it was first necessary to develop new methodologies to capture the temporal and spatial variability of tidal current dynamics over long timescales and identify metrics relevant in a tidal energy context. These methodologies were developed for project scale resource characterisation, and provided a basis for development of a national scale dataset. The creation of project and national scale tidal datasets capture spatial and temporal variability at a level beyond previous insight, as demonstrated in case studies of three important early stage tidal current energy development sites. The provision of a robust national scale dataset enabled the development of realistic scenarios for the growth of the tidal current energy sector in UK waters. Assessing the various scenarios proposed indicates that first-generation technology solutions have the potential to generate up to 31 TWh/yr (over 8% of 2009 UK electricity demand). However, only 14 TWh/yr can be sensibly generated after incorporating realistic economic and environmental limitations proposed in this study. The preceding development of methodologies, datasets and scenarios enabled statistical analysis of the matching characteristics of future tidal energy generation potential with the present UK electricity demand and trends of electricity usage. This analysis demonstrated that the UK tidal current energy resource is much more in phase than has previously been understood, highlighting the flaws in previous studies suggesting that a combined portfolio of sites around the UK can deliver firm power. As there is negligible firm production, base-load contribution is insignificant. However, the time-series generated from this analysis identifies the role tidal current energy can play in meeting future energy demand and offer significant benefit for the operation of the electricity system as part of an integrated portfolio.

A fita nasal é amplamente utilizada em equinos durante o exercício, porém seus resultados são controversos e pouco conhecidos em animais que disputam provas de resistência. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram verificar se o uso da fita nasal influencia parâmetros durante o exercício predominantemente aeróbico, como frequência respiratória, volume tidal, volume minuto, tempos de inspiração e expiração, população de células por meio de lavado broncoalveolar, frequência cardíaca e lactato sanguíneo. Foram utilizados seis equinos da raça Árabe que realizaram dois testes de longa duração em esteira, sendo um teste com fita e outro sem a fita nasal. Durante os testes eram realizadas coletas de sangue, espirometria com obtenção de curvas de fluxo e volume respiratório, e registro da frequência cardíaca por meio de frequencímetro. Duas horas após o término do exercício foi realizado lavado broncoalveolar para realização de citologia da secreção pulmonar. Não houveram diferenças entre os parâmetros ventilatórios analisados entre os animais quando correram com ou sem a fita nasal. Entretanto, a frequência cardíaca foi em média menor durante o exercício nos animais que se exercitaram com a fita nasal (p<0,05), podendo indicar uma melhor oferta de oxigênio durante o exercício de longa duração com o uso da fita nasal, apesar de não encontrarmos alterações nos parâmetros de fluxo e volume respiratório. Na avaliação citológica do conteúdo do lavado broncoalveolar, foi verificada maior porcentagem de neutrófilos após o exercício nos animais que se exercitaram com a fita nasal (p<0,05), indicando que o turbilhonamento na passagem do ar através da cavidade nasal pode ter diminuído permitindo que partículas maiores se depositassem em porções mais distais do sistema respiratório, induzindo uma resposta neutrofílica mais intensa. O uso da fita nasal parece influenciar alguns parâmetros durante e após o exercício em animais que realizam provas de longa duração. Outros estudos devem ser realizados para verificar se essa influência pode melhorar o desempenho desses animais em exercícios predominantemente aeróbicos / The nasal strip is widely used in horses during exercise, but the results are controversial and little known in animals that compete for endurance events. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of nasal strips influence parameters during predominantly aerobic exercise, such as respiratory frequency, tidal volume, minute ventilation, inspiratory and expiratory times, population of cells by bronchoalveolar lavage, heart rate and blood lactate. Six Arabian horses were submitted to two low intensity tests on a treadmill, one of them with nasal strip and one without nasal strip. During the tests were carried out blood samples, airflow and volume curves with spirometry mask, and heart rate was recorded through heart rate monitor. Two hours after the exercise was performed bronchoalveolar lavage to perform cytology of pulmonary secretions. There were no differences among ventilatory parameters analyzed when the horses performed the exercise with or without the nasal strip. However, heart rate was lower on average during the exercise when the horses were exercised with nasal strip (p <0.05), which may indicate a better supply of oxygen during the low intensity exercise with the use of nasal strip, despite we did not find changes in the airflow and respiratory volume parameters. In cytological evaluation of the content of bronchoalveolar lavage, increased percentage of neutrophils was observed after exercise in animals with nasal strip (p <0.05), indicating that turbulence in the airflow through the nasal cavity may have diminished allowing larger particles to be deposited in distal portions of the respiratory system, inducing a more intense neutrophilic response. The use of nasal strips appears to influence some parameters during and after exercise in horses that perform low intensity and endurance tests. Further studies should be conducted to verify that this influence can improve the performance of these horses in predominantly aerobic exercises

This Thesis presents simulation of flow past laboratory-scale and full-scale tidal stream turbines (TST) using EDF's open-source CFD solver Code_Saturne. The work shows that detailed results may be obtained with confidence and that greater information on the loading and wake structure is available than other methods, such as blade element momentum theory.Results are obtained using a new sliding-mesh method that has been implemented in Code_Saturne as part of this work. The sliding-mesh method uses internal Dirichlet boundary conditions with values on the interface prescribed via a halo-point method. Parallel performance is optimised by a carefully-chosen method of exchanging information between specific processes. Validation is provided for flow past a rotating cylinder and a sphere.For the laboratory-scale TST, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models are used to model turbulence. The k-omega-SST and Launder-Reece-Rodi (LRR) models yield good agreement with experimental values of power and thrust coefficients as a function of tip-speed ratio (TSR). The standard k-epsilon model is shown to perform poorly due to an overprediction of turbulent kinetic energy upstream of the rotor plane. The k-omega-SST model is then used to examine wake behaviour for parametric studies of turbulence intensity and TSR. Increased turbulence levels are shown to reduce the downstream propagation of the wake because of increased mixing. The near wake is influenced by the TSR, whilst the far wake is independent of TSR.The predicted effect of tidal conditions typical of the EMEC test site are considered for flow past Tidal Generation Limited's 1MW TST. The effect of sheared-velocity profiles leads to an increase in loading on an individual turbine blade at the point of a rotation where velocity shear is greatest. The effect of increased yaw angle leads to large fluctuations of the power coefficient, but smaller fluctuations of the thrust coefficient. Mean values of thrust and power decrease as a function of the cosine of the yaw angle and yaw angle squared respectively.

In this study I assess spatial and temporal patterns of sediment deposition in Pecausett Pond, located along the tidal extent of the Connecticut River, in order to assess the role of tides in the transport and storage of sediment and associated contaminants within floodplain tidal ponds. Findings reveal that tidal ponds have significantly higher rates of sedimentation compared to neighboring marshes due to the fact that these ponds have more accommodation space and receive uninterrupted tidal exchange with the main river. Tidal tie channels introduce a pulse of suspended sediment and contaminants from the main river into these ponds each flood tide, with sedimentation rates fast enough to allow settling before the subsequent ebb tide can transport these sediments back to the main river (i.e. tidal pumping). Some studies performed on the tidal floodplain of the Connecticut River show high deposition rates and have attributed periods of high accumulation to anomalously high river discharge events. However, this project shows that tides are more likely the major mechanism responsible for transporting and storing sediment and associated contaminants at backwater sites located along the tidal floodplain. Deposition rates in this 3-4 m deep pond exceed 2 cm/yr. These rates are far too high to maintain equilibrium morphology for much longer. However, ground penetrating radar surveys from the study site reveal truncated stratigraphy common to erosional unconformities, which suggest that mechanisms for sediment remobilization and removal may exist. Periods of episodic erosion therefore may be helping to maintain the morphology in this shallow environment, and allow for the high rates of short-term deposition. Further, a sudden increase in percent inorganic potentially associated with the opening or clearance of the tie-channel is observed at a sediment depth approximately between 1.9 to 2.2 m. A radiocarbon date obtained below this transition is consistent with a significant drop in sedimentation prior to this tie-channel development. High rates of sedimentation in Pecausett Pond are therefore likely relatively recent phenomena, transpiring over the last few centuries following early colonization.

A three dimensional computational model of a full scale axial flow tidal turbine has been used to investigate the effects of a range of realistic environmental conditions on turbine performance. The model, which is based on the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations, has been developed using the commercial flow solver ANSYS Fluent. A 1:30 scale tidal turbine is simulated in an open channel for comparison to existing experimental data. The rotor blades are directly resolved using a body-fitted, unstructured computational grid. Rotor motion is enabled through a sliding mesh interface between the rotor and the channel boundaries. Reasonably good agreement in thrust and power is observed. The computed performance curves are offset from the measured performance curves by a small increment in rotor speed. Subsequently, a full scale axial flow turbine is modelled in a variety of conditions representative of tidal channel flows. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the effects of flow shear, confinement and alignment on turbine performance, structural loading, and wake recovery. Mean power and thrust are found to be higher in sheared flow, relative to uniform flow of equivalent volumetric flow rate. Large fluctuations in blade thrust and torque occur in sheared flow as the blade passes through the high velocity freestream flow in the upper portion of the profile and the lower velocity flow near the channel bed. A stronger shear layer is formed around the upper portion of the wake in sheared flow, leading to enhanced wake mixing. Mean power and thrust are reduced when the turbine is simulated at a lower position in a sheared velocity profile. However, fluctuations in blade loading are increased due to the higher velocity gradient. The opposite effects are observed when the turbine operates at greater heights in sheared flow. Flow misalignment has a negative impact on mean rotor thrust and power, as well as on unsteady blade loading. Although the range of unsteady loading is not increased significantly, additional perturbations are introduced due to interactions between the blade and the nacelle. A deforming surface is introduced using the volume-of-fluid method. Linear wave theory is combined with the existing free surface model to develop an unsteady inflow boundary condition prescribing combined sheared flow and free surface waves. The relative effects of the sheared profile and wave-induced velocities on turbine loading are identified through frequency analysis. Rotor and blade load fluctuations are found to increase with wave height and wave length. In a separate study, the performance of bi-directional ducted tidal turbines is investigated through a parametric study of a range of duct profiles. A two dimensional axi-symmetric computational model is developed to compare the ducted geometries with an unducted device under consistent blockage conditions. The best-performing ducted device achieves a peak power coefficient of approximately 45% of that of the unducted device. Comparisons of streamtube area, velocity and pressure for the flow through the ducted device shows that the duct limits the pressure drop across the rotor and the mass flow through the rotor, resulting in lower device power.