Tidal energy takes advantage of water movement due to tides. To extract this energy from places like the Bay of Fundy (NS), turbines similar to a wind turbine but smaller are installed directly under water, not needing a dam. To design the turbines, engineers need to know how the water moves. On the other hand, […]

This project aims to further develop cost-effective methods for characterizing fluid flow fields in high-energy tidal channels, with a focus on use of low-profile drifters to calibrate and validate numerical models of ocean flows. The project will focus on the Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) used by Acadia and Luna Ocean, primarily for tidal energy […]

The strong tidal currents that make in-stream tidal energy possible, are also challenging to work in since they are also very turbulent. As the flow passes over the rough bottom and shoreline variations, eddies are generated over a wide range of scales. These eddies (i.e. turbulence) create fluctuating forces on tidal turbine blades and their […]