Tidal Energy Device Evaluation Center
TEDEC is an ongoing effort to test and evaluate tidal turbine designs at the Bagaduce River in stream. The purpose of TEDEC is to generate data on basic performance characteristics of In-Stream turbines in a confined channel. Currently, TEDEC is filling the void for this kind of data. The Bagaduce Narrows provides an ideal location as a test bed for studying turbine array interaction, surface profile effects, wake flow patterns and turbine interactions with it’s surroundings. TEDEC recently finished the permitting process and is currently testing devices in-stream. The data gathered by the TEDEC team can be scaled to larger commercial devices. Feasibility of such devices continues to be improved as a consequence to ongoing research. Several SNAME student members participate in the TEDEC project and several have fulfilled their Capstone requirements through the project.
The design spiral of the rapid turbine development concept used by TEDEC.
A tow tank test of one turbine design as it uses a
prop rendered as described by the spiral design process