Impacts of Interactions Between Nearby Tidal Farms on Their Performance and Operation

Following promising results from demonstration projects, the next stage in the development of tidal stream energy is the commercial exploitation of this resource. Many high energy density tidal sites are in interconnected channels and hence an interaction between nearby tidal farms is expected. In this study, the impacts of farm interactions are analyzed based on changes in the capacity factor and the length of offshore work windows estimated using results from a three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model. This study focuses on four nearby farms in the Goto Islands: two farms that are side-by-side in the same channel, and two other farms that are in parallel channels. The side-by-side farms reduce each other’s capacity factor by 5.37% and 2.22% due to velocity deficits in the turbine wakes of the adjacent farm. This decrease in current velocity leads to an increase in the length of offshore work windows, as these windows are defined by periods for which the current velocity at the turbine installation points is below a given threshold. Conversely, the interactions of farms in parallel channels are negligible in the case of the Goto Islands. These results highlight the importance of considering inter-array interactions to maximize energy generation and minimize installation and maintenance costs.