An investigation of hydraulic transmission system for small-scale floating vertical turbine.

Abstract

With the increase in emissions, fossil fuels exhaustion and the need for electricity in remote areas in Malaysia and the world, researchers are trying to advance and develop the renewable energy sector. One of the essential types of clean energy is water turbines. This paper will focus on implementing a hydraulic transmission system in a small-scale vertical floating water turbine. First, a small-scale Savonius vertical water turbine was designed. A CFD analysis was also conducted to assess the concept, find the performance of the turbine, calculate the torque and determine the angular velocity of the turbine. Then, two regression models were used to govern the variation of the input power. Finally, to assess the power transmission in the opened and closed-loop systems, Simulink models were established. The result showed that the closed-loop power transmission system provides low output power, with around 20% efficiency, in small-scale turbines. Nevertheless, the open-loop system has a better capability, with around 53% efficiency.