QED Naval has reported that it completed installation and retrieval trials of the Subhub operations model in real tidal conditions.
The company said it installed the model on the seabed in a controlled manner within minutes and then secured it on the seabed overnight, before being recovered to the surface within an equally short time period and control.
“Scaling these extreme conditions to the prototype size, based on a 4.0m diameter turbine, would be equivalent to over 2m/s or 4 knots with a significant wave heights over 1.0m,” the company explained.
Frontal profiles of turbine blades were added to the cross beam to simulate three turbines being installed on the Subhub; the blades acting against the current presented no issues, QED Naval said.