Development

Triton 6 Testing

This was undertaken in 2009 at a test facility run by Ifremer in Brest, France with support from the METRI programme. The platform was shown to be stable in both operating and maintenance modes under a range of conditions, and in particular to tolerate fault and extreme wave conditions. It was shown that Triton could operate stably with one or more rotors ’failed’, utilising ballast adjustment to maintain a level position.

Work boat docking was also simulated during adverse wave and flow condition, giving confidence this could be achieved at full scale

The testing of the Triton 6, six rotor platform, was based on a model of the full scale design undertaken by Ramboll UK. Ramboll have also conducted work on a gravity base design and deployment system suitable for the conditions expected in typical high flow, scoured bottom, tidal sites.

The TidalStream Triton concept has evolved through several stages of development, including testing of a twin rotor scale model in a UK tow test facility, and a 1/23rd scale device (the the largest practical scale for the facility) of the six rotor system, the Triton 6 at the Ifremer Marine Research Centre Deep Water Basin in Brest, France. The tests demonstrated the stability of operation in extreme and fault conditions, and showed that power production is unaffected by the proximity of multiple rotors aligned to the flow. It also demonstrated the mode changes achieved by simple ballast transfer which is a key feature in practical deployment, maintenance access and ultimate removal of the Triton platform system.

This testing has been a key element of a programme to build and deploy a full scale Triton Platform System as part of the overall commercialisation path. It is backed up by theoretical analysis and the creation of specific performance and dynamics programmes.

Alongside this is the continuing monitoring of the systems cost effectiveness with the target of matching or beating the CAPEX and OPEX of offshore wind turbines as a starting point. Recent analysis shows the Triton platform approach will achieve this.

Twin Rotor Testing

An early twin-rotor version of Triton was tested at one-twentieth scale in the Strathclyde Centre for Marine Hydrodynamic, Glasgow in 2008. The images below include photos of the device surviving the ten-year wave for the area being studied, with the turbines running and delivering power, and demonstrating the effective way in which wave surges are absorbed by the spar-buoy concept.

The twin rotor version of the TidalStream system - the basis for the 2008 model testing. The test model had twin one metre diameter rotors each driving a generator through a gearbox. Full remote ballast control enabled simulation of operating transitions with tides running

Development