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How Does Sound Travel in High Energy Environments? Effectiveness of Acoustic Monitoring Systems and Turbine Audibility Assessment

April 2017 – December 2020

The researchers are designing and implementing a long-term acoustic monitoring program to support tidal energy development in the Bay of Fundy. Specialized acoustic instrumentation was deployed for a two-month period in Grand Passage to advance understanding how turbulence affects the ability to

Reducing Costs of Tidal Energy through a Comprehensive Characterization of Turbulence in Minas Passage

October 2017 – March 2020

Turbulence is a significant issue at every site being considered for in-stream tidal energy development.

Turbine Wake Characterization

November 2017 – March 2019

Turbine wake characterization is a key endeavour to the development of in-stream tidal turbine arrays.  In a sense, a turbine’s footprint includes its wake, wherein flow speeds are less and turbulence is elevated compared to the ambient surroundings.  It is thus desired to not just delineate wake

Going with the Flow II: Using Drifters to Address Uncertainties in the Spatial Variation of Tidal Flows

October 2017 – June 2018

Drifters are one of the oldest, simplest and most reliable methods for measuring ocean currents. Drifters also provide a simple, low risk platform from which to gather acoustic information along flow streamlines or ‘drift tracks’.

Turbulence Dissipation Rates from Horizontal Velocity Profiles at Mid-Depth in Fast Tidal Flows

December 2017

This study characterizes the turbulence in a tidal channel in the Bay of Fundy that has been identified for development as a tidal power resource.

Drones and Drifters – The Great Pumpkin Race

October 2016 – July 2017

This project tested and developed a new low-cost approach to collecting oceanographic measurements for use in tidal initial site assessments. The plan combines one of the oldest tools in oceanography, the drifter, with one of the newest, the drone.

High-Resolution Numerical Model Resource Assessment of Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy

January 2017

Two numerical models developed by the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute are described. The models simulate the tidal flow in the Bay of Fundy, and in particular the Minas Passage. The models have different grid resolution, one suitable for site assessment and one suitable for resource assessment.

Turbulence in Grand Passage Nova Scotia: Measures of Intermittency

April – December 2016

Turbulence research is very important to advancing the in-stream tidal energy sector, however turbulence in general is not well understood.  Measurement at prospective turbine locations is essential prior to development, given the high degree of spatial variability between sites.

Spectral and Structure Function Estimates of Turbulence Dissipation Rates in a High Flow Tidal Channel Using Broadband ADCPs

January 2016

Spectral and structure function methods are implemented to compute the dissipation rate, ε, from broadband, diverging-beam, acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data collected at four sites in a high-flow tidal channel.