In this paper, a tidal power conversion system (PCS) using seawater level differences was presented.. To verify the presented PCS, an actual lab-scale tidal power generation system was constructed. The operation of the lab-scale PCS was first modeled mathematically and was analyzed through dynamic simulation and experimental tests.

Numerical analysis has been carried out to investigate the characteristics of seawater flow fields and turbine output in a compact double current tidal power generation system for various level differences. There are growing concerns for the development of efficient tidal power generation which is stable and less affected by environmental circumstances as ocean energy. Especially the flow field characteristics in the compact tidal power generation system have a large influence on the system power generation performance. Flow velocity, pressure, and streamline distributions are compared including vertical type turbine out, and it can be predicted that seawater is accelerated by vortex flow in front of the turbine and there is severe turbine output variation due to the water level difference with pressure difference. These results can be applied as basic data for the effective development of compact tidal power generation system.

In this paper, 1kW prototype PCS for tidal power generation system, which is attracting attention as the next-generation renewable energy, is studied. Tidal power generation is a method of producing energy using the difference between the tides. The advantage of tidal generators is that, unlike other renewable energies such as wave power, wind power, and solar power, they are relatively less affected by the weather changes and are regularly produced at regular intervals.

Numerical analysis has been carried out to analyze seawater flow field and power generation characteristics of the tidal current power generation system for various multi channel shroud systems. Geometrical multi channel arrangement largely affects the flow field characteristics in the shroud system which power generation performance through turbine blade depends on. Sectional averaged velocity in front of the turbine blade which increases more than 2 times compared with channel inlet is much influenced as well as the flow from the rear with curl. And flow variation results in high inlet velocity in horizontal arrangements of multi channels with mechanical output of the turbine. These results are expected to be used as applicable data for the development of the tidal power generation system with shrouds.

Numerical simulation has been carried out to analyze seawater flow characteristics for shroud geometry variations with tidal current generation turbine. Seawater flow field characteristics in the turbine system are largely influenced by the shroud geometry. The vortex flow area in the diffuser part of the shroud gradually grows with the increase of shroud angle, but its recirculation velocity gets smaller. The centerline velocity of shroud increases with the length of cylinder part when diffuser part length and angle are constant(2.5m, 0.733rad) for the cylinder-diffuser type shroud system. Seawater velocity on the tip of turbine blade is pretty high, and as radial distance increases from the turbine axis, there is more gap between the fluid velocity isolines. These results in this study will be applicable for optimal design of tidal current generation system.