Characteristics of Ocean Current Meandering and Potential Efficacy of Maximizing Power Capacity by Tracking Short-Term Meanders

Abstract

This research studies the characteristics of ocean current meanders from the viewpoint of power generation engineering and the potential of the Cross-stream Active Mooring (CSAM) system in tracking short term meandering for maximizing ocean current power generation capacity.  The CSAM for marine current power features a hydro sail system that can deploy generator turbines transversely across streams in a marine current. The hydro sail system can further adjust the horizontal position of the turbines, by changing sail angle of attack, to actively track fast streams in the marine current to increase power generation capacity. This paper first reviews and discusses the characteristics of short-term track variations of the Florida Current and the Kuroshio off Taiwan, especially widths, periods and lateral movement speeds of the meandering velocity cores, and then applies the CSAM concept to analyze potential capacity improvement in power generation using measured and simulated current velocity data in the two ocean currents.  The analysis indicates that an increase of 10-40% in power generation capacity can be achieved by applying the CSAM technique to track the meandering velocity cores.

Keywords: ocean current, power capacity, meander, capacity factor, mooring