Advanced TidGen Power System - Deployment and Mooring System

The TidGen Power System generates emission-free electricity from tidal currents and connects directly into existing grids using smart grid technology. The power system consists of three major subsystems: shore-side power electronics, mooring system, and turbine generator unit (TGU) device.

This submission includes the technical report on deployment and mooring system design requirements and subsystem risk analysis. A primary goal of the Advanced TidGen Power System project is to adapt ORPC's buoyant tensioned mooring system (BTMS) to the Advanced TidGen turbine generator unit (TGU). The TGU, as determined at the System Definition Review held in June 2017, is a dual-driveline, stacked system that implements hydrodynamic improvements for turbine design, turbine-turbine interactions and turbine-structure interactions. A major challenge for mooring and deployment system design will be to account for the substantial increases in loading incurred from increased power production and the resulting system drag during operation. Figure 1 shows the current system as presented for the Preliminary Design Review held in October 2017. This document addresses major risks, preventative measures, and mitigation strategies that have influenced this design and continue to drive development work toward the next design iteration.

Also included is the technical report on mooring system design, supporting analytical models, and subsystem FMEA. Maine Marine Composites (MMC) has developed a simulation model to design a mooring system for Ocean Renewable Power Company) TidGen tidal energy converter. This document describes the simulation model, results, and the status of the current mooring system design. A preliminary anchor design is also proposed by MMC. The anchor is primarily a concrete gravity anchor. Structural steel is embedded inside the concrete to provide strength for the chain connection points. Steel L Channels also protrude
underneath the concrete to act as a skirt to provide additional resistance.