Development of 500kW Tidal Current Energy Converter and Uldolmok Field Test

500kW 조류력 발전장치 개발 및 울돌목 실증시험

Hyundai Heavy Industries has developed a tidal current energy converter utilizing the accumulated technology as the world largest constructor for ship and offshore structures. The model has two sets of turbines in both ends in order to utilize the bi-directional current flows in flood and ebb tide. The torque produced by turbine in tidal current is directly delivered to generator along the horizontal axis, in which the turbine, gear, generator, gear and turbine are connected successively. The manufactured model for field test has the turbine diameter of 5 meters to produce the maximum power of 500kW at maximum current speed of 5m/s. The technical verification of tidal power converter was performed by means of small scale model test in towing tank as well as field test at the Strait of Uldolmok located in Jindo of Jeollanamdo province. Field test was performed by mounting the tidal current converter on the SEP(Self Elevating Platform) which could lower the 4 vertical legs on the seabed and could elevate platform over the water surface using the hydraulic power for itself. The field test performed for a month shows that power output is similar or larger compared with the expected one in design stage. This paper presents the development of tidal current energy converter and real sea field test by Hyundai Heavy Industries. This project has finished successfully and provided the technical advance toward commercial services for tidal current power generation in the south-west region in Korea.