Multi-year assessment of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy at the European Marine Energy Centre in the absence of waves

To enable accurate prediction of performance, loading and lifetime fatigue,
the operating environment of tidal stream turbines must be
comprehensively characterised over a range of seasons and tidal cycles. The met-ocean dataset acquired at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), UK as part of the Reliable Data Acquisition Platform for Tidal (ReDAPT) project
covers a multi-year period with multiple sensor deployments and
provides an opportunity to characterise both mean turbulent flow parameters and their statistical properties.

Results from the analysis of Reynolds stresses and turbulent kinetic energy density are presented along with corresponding statistical distributions at turbine hub-height. Two distinct methods of calculating turbulent kinetic energy density are compared and the need for accurate determination of turbulence anisotropy is discussed based on the resulting values. Evidence of consistent trends over inflow velocities and vertical position in the water column is presented, and ongoing work to quantify these trends described.